^^ 



School Men 

Woefully Ignorant or 

Hopelessly Corrupt 

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE 




V ,^' 



riiis little book I dedicate 

To tliosc who wisli to know the truth 
Aliiiut tlie ways we educate 

I )ur cnnntr\ 's hoi^e — its Iwddino- youth. 



Copyright, 1913 

By 

IA^rEs T. CuFFix 

Piihliratioii ri;^hts arc ivah'cd to the Labor Press, i. c. The OMcial 
Joiinials of the .Inicruaii Fcdeivlicii of Labor 



Piiblislied by 

JAMES T. GUFFTN 

1C32 Park Ave., Chicagx), III 

Mailf'il on receipt of price. Scventy-Pive cents 



£> 1 I'RIXTTNG CO. 



REPORT OF THE HEARING 



ON 



SCHOOL BOOK 
LEGISLATION 

BEFORE THE JOINT COMMITTEE 
OF THE 

SENATE 

AND 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



Lansing^ Michigan, Feb. 19, 1913 

With an Appendix by the Publisher 



JOINT COMMITTEE V^ ^1> 

House of Eepeesen'tatives 

February 19, 1913. 

8 o'clock P. M. 

MEMBERS OF SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND 
PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
Name, Address 

HON. FRANCIS KING, Chairman, Alma, Mich. 

HON. VERNE C. AMBERSON, Blissfield, Mich. 

HON. SAMUEL ODELL, Shelby, Mich. 

MEMBERS OF HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION. 
Name, ' Address 

HON. FREDERICK E. DUNN, Chairman, Croswell, Mich. 
HON. A. V. YOUNG, Big Rapids, Mich. 

HON. ARTHUR ODELL, Allegan, Mich. 

HON. BION WHELAN, M. D. Hillsdale, Mich. 

HON. FRANK CHAMBERLAIN, Wayland, Mich. 

HON. GEORGE W. SCHAEFFER, Sturgis, Mich. 

HON. JOHN HOLLAND, Bessemer, Mich. 

HON. D. P. McLACHLAN, M. D. Milan, Mich. 

The Michigan Federation of Labor appeared by its accredited repre- 
sentative, MR. HOMER F. WATERMAN, Secretary-Treasurer, Kala- 
mazoo, Michigan, and MR. JAMES T. GUFFIN of Chicago bearing 
credentials from the Chicago Allied Printing Trades' Council. And the 
Text-Book Committee appointed by the Michigan State Teachers' Asso- 
ciation and the Michigan Association of School Boards and City Super- 
intendents, 

CONSTITUTED AS FOLLOWS : 
W.'H. BRUNSON, Chairman, FRED WELLS, 

President Board of Education, St. Jolms. President Board Education, Battle Creek 

WILLIAM CARPENTER, E. E. FERGUSON, 

Secretary Board of Education, Muskegon. Superintendent of Schools, Bay City. 

E. A. LYMAN,* S. O. HARTWELL, 

Head of Dept. of Mathematics, Tpsilanti. Superintendent of Schools, Kalamazoo. 

E. W. YOST, E, C. WARRINER, 

County Commissioner of Schools, Secretary of Committee. 

"Wayne Co., Detroit. Superintendent of Schools. Saginaw. 

Committee on Text-books and Text-book Legislation. 

— And Others — 

*It is well known that authors receive royalties from publishers. These 
royalties are usually based on the net sum received by the publisher fi-om the 
sale of the books. The more the publisher .gets, the greater will be the author's 
share. I find by reference to the "Publishers' Weekly", the American book 
journal published in New York, in the issue of .Tuly 23, 1910, on page 4S4, that 
Mr. E. A. Lyman is the author of four books published by the American Book 
Company, a joint author on three published by Allyn & Bacon and author of 
"Geometry Exercises," published by D. C. Heath & Company. I refer the reader 
to pages 103 and. 10^ and to poems on pasjes 42 and 82. 
. r Matthew, VI. : 24 

Mr. Carpenter showed in several instances, a lack of knowledge of condi- 
tions. Mr. Yost's testimony was an echo of the policy of the American Book 
Company and others on pages 33, 34, 35. Mr. Purgeson was unfair on page 36. 
Mr. Warriner was unfair on pages 38, 39, and Mr. Hartwell was misleading on 
pages 30, 31. Many sentences of their report, (not all of which has been dis- 
cussed herein), are woefully misleading, as an investigation will show. 

The Publisher desires to call attention to the date of this publica= 
tion on page 3 in the Preface; to the credential printed on page 86; 
to the date of its revocation on back cover; his reply to the same, and 
to the signed article immediately following. A man is responsible 
only for what he says and does; not for what is said about him. 



PREFACE 

This little book has been hurriedly prepared and the publisher is fully 
aware that it is in no sense a comprehensive treatment of the text-book 
question. It is issued at this time merely for the purpose of answering 
many questions and arguments of a confusing nature which have arisen. 
A full treatment of the subject would fill volumes. 

This much is axiomatic : — The money paid for school books comes 
from the pockets of the taxpayers as the children, themselves, are non-pro- 
ducers. It is impossible to see how the opponents of "Uniform" text- 
books can substantiate their claim of greater economy to the payer of 
taxes when it is herein positively demonstrated that school book prices are 
invariably less under a uniform system than under any "local adoption" 
system, WHETHER THE BOOKS ARE FURNISHED FREE OR 
ARE PROCURED BY INDIVIDUAL PURCHASE OF SCHOOL 
PATRONS. 

The much-heralded "home rule" cry is a conceded graft-producer as 
is admitted on page 69. What the people want is "home rule" over their 
pocket-books. They are more interested in this for they would prefer to 
send to the store only forty cents instead of sixty-five cents to get ex- 
actly the same book. When school board members and dity superintend- 
ents, from whom honest and faithful service is expected, connive, or are 
led to use their influence, to secure laws that will place the text-book busi- 
ness of the State in the hands of certain publishing houses without equal 
competition for all, at a cost (by the local adoption plan), greater than 
that for which the books purchased are sold under state-wide uniform- 
ity, ivhat must be thought? The people do not, under local adoption, have 
the right of choice of books save as the superintendent and school board 
members choose for them. In Massachusetts even this right of choice has 
been taken away from the school boards who are supposedly elected by 
the people for this purpose and the power has been placed in the hands of 
the superintendents. (See p. 20, last sentence Mr. Fitzpatrick's address.) 

Someone is even now seeking to take this power of choice of school 
books from the school boards of Michigan by means of another bill, (not 
a text-book bill), which has been introduced before the Legislature. 

As has hereinbefore been said, the subject is a wide one and one of 
direct interest to a large per cent of the population. If the following- 
pages serve to throw light into some of the dark corners, correct much 
mis-information and supply to the public facts that it has been difficult or 
impossible to get before them hitherto, the desire of the publisher will 
have been achieved and he will feel amply repaid for such effort as has 
been expended in this compilation. 

I welcome and court criticism of all kinds as it is only by such that 
we progress. In placing the facts of the text-book situation before the 
public I have used my utmost endeavor to be absolutely fair and it will 
be observed that the arguments -and editorials of the supporters of free 
text-books have been reproduced in an un-garbled condition. Only facts 
have been presented and these, without bias. Deductions as to the force 
of the arguments are left to the reader. 

In conclusion, I desire to make due acknowledgement to Senator 
Straight, Representative Young, Chairman Dunn and to the members of 
the Joint Committee for the many courtesies extended to me, without 
which it would have been impossible to collate this matter and place it be- 
fore the public. 

April 7, 1913. The Publisher. 

[3] 



CONTENTS 



PART I. Page 

PRESIDENT WOODROW WILSON— SENATOR ROBERT M. LA FOLLETTE. .6 

PREFACE 3 

THE HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 7-41 

Michigan Federation of Labor, 7. Newspaper excerpts, showing- 
necessity for some educational policies of organized labor, 8-9. U. 
S. Commissioner of Education. Cook County, Illinois, Superinten- 
dent of schools and rural teachers, 9. Illinois statistics, 10. Mich- 
igan Teachers' Investigating Committee report partially criticized, 
10, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21. Twelve advantages of State Uniformity over 
"local adoption". 11. Additional advantages, 12, 13. Sharp practice 
dealing with rural schools, 13, 14. Dealer trying to justify cost of 
hooks, 14. Legislature responsible, 14. Teachers' opinions formed 
by school publications, 17, 18, 19, 20. "Free book, local adoption" 
law inspired by superintendents in April, 1911, p. IS. How business 
in Michigan was originally acquired by the American Book Com- 
pany, 19. "Local Adoption", with the authority of superintendent 
above that of school board, extolled by Boston manager of the 
American Book Company, 20. Prices higher in Minnesota and 
Michigan with new plan advocated or old plan now in vogue than 
would be under State Uniformity with Dunn-Young substitute bill 
alaw,21,22, 23, 24. Why? 101. Tabulation showing economy of mak- 
ing change to State Uniformity system under existing conditions 
whether books are free or procured by individual purchase locally, 
23. Mr. E. E. Carpenter, 25-29. Mr. S. O. Hartwell, 29, 32. Mr. B. 
W. Yost, 33-35, 40. Mr. E. E. Furgeson, 35, 36. Mr. E. A. Lyman, 
36, 37. Mr. E. C. Warriner, 37, 38, 39. Dr. Smith, 39. Mr. Slau- 
son, 40. Mr. Guffin closes hearing, 40, 41. 



"UNIFORMITY (?)", "District, Township Unit Plan" 42-43 

Verse by George L. Buttrick. 

INTERLOCUTORY 44-45 

Individual rights vs. community rights, 45. 

DIXIE 46-47 

Competition secured in Florida, 46-47. Workmen and tools com- 
pared; local conditions un-named as usual. Can the reader name 
them?, 47. Legislation in Michigan, 48-49. 
[4] 



CONTENTS 5 

STRAIGHT-PATTENGILL DEBATE 50-58 

Differences arose, 50. Misleading information, 50. Opening of the 
campaign for tlie "free booli, local adoption" law, and carrying out 
the policies of the managers of the American Book Company in 
preference to State Uniformity, 51. The invitation to- debate the 
question, 51-52. Invitation accepted, 52-53. Topic of debate sub- 
mitted, 54. Important facts in debate suppressed by "Moderator- 
Topics" and some mis-leading statements made in the debate by 
Mr. Pattengill, 55, 56, 57. Signed statement given. Purpose of 
Straight- Young uniformity bills published in labor paper. 57-58. 
Advocates of "home rule" really opposed to home rule, 58. 

PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISING MEDIUMS; CURIOSITIES; TEACH 

ERS' READING 58-69 

"The bull," (Truth) "in the" (Pattengill) "china shop," 59. In- 
diana goes for Uniform high school books, 59. Somebody fears a 
probe, 60. "Moderator-Topics" paves the way for a forthcoming re- 
port after a two years' investigation, embodying plan laid down two 
years previously. Workings of the "system," 60-61. Was the same 
object in view as charged in Ohio 22 years ago?, 61. (Read second 
from last paragraph near bottom page 61; then re-read pages 11, 
12, 13 and 14.) Of special interest to Ohio teachers, 62 (top of 
. page) . State ownership of copyrights and state publication imprac- 
tical, 65-66. Calling names; condoning bribery; "local adoption", 
by a manager of a leading text-book house, 69. 

NEWS AND EDITORIALS PROM THE PUBLIC PRESS 70-82 

American Book Company opposes State Uniformity in Ohio; 
further lights on the system, 70-71. They use the public press to 
further the interests of their company. Who pays for it?, 71-72. 
What was the inspiration in article on pages 72 and 73? The power 
of the press used to coerce board members and others, 75. Bull 
Moose locking horns, 77, 82. 

"WANTED" 82 

A poem by J. G. Holland (Timothy Titcomb). 

LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY, OPPOSED BY THOSE 

WHO DO NOT UNDERSTAND 83-99 

Showing reasons and struggles for same and the opposition it has 
met and some who oppose it, as well as how some of its friends 
have been misrepresented. 

EDITORIALS 100-102 

Sheep — and different sheep. Not sheep and goats, 100. Local adop- 
tion a "will-'o-the-wisp". Whx Jiaoks cost more under this plan, 
101. Some workmen; some schoolmen; some politicians. Initiative 
of teacher and mechanic with conditions uniform, 101, 102. Mathe- 
matical problem. Low wages and morality. Why "local condition" 
talk is heard, 102. 



MICHIGAN INVESTIGATION ILLUSTRATED 103 

The "system" explained by California Investigating Committee. 
"Who's wrong?", 103-104. 



THE STATE JOURNAL 

LANSING, MICHIGAN 

Monday, March 3, 1913. 



PRIVATE MONOPOLY 
By Woodrow Wilson. 

"/ take my stand absolutely, where every pro gressive ought to take his 
stand, on the proposition that private monopoly is indefensible and intoler- 
able. And there will I fight my battle. And I know hotv to fight it. Every- 
body who has even read the neiuspapers knozvs the means by which these 
men built up their power and created these monopolies. And any decently 
equipped lawyer can suggest to^you statues by which the zvhole business 
can be stopped. WHAT THESE GENTLEMEN DO NOT WANT IS 
THIS: THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE COMPELLED TO MEET 
ALL COMERS ON EQUAL TERMS. 

"I am perfectly willing that they should beat any competitor by fair 
means, but I knozv the ford means they have adopted, and I know that 
they can be stopped by lazv. If they think that coming into the market 
upon the basis of mere efficiency; upon the mere basis of knowing how to 
manufacture goods better than anybody else, they can carry the immense 
amount of water that they have put into their enterprises in order to buy 
up their rivals, then they are perfectly zvelcome to try it. 

"But there must be no squeezing out of the beginner, no crippling his 
credit; no discrimination against retailers zvho buy from a rival; no threats 
against concerns zvho sell supplies to a rival; no holding back of raw ma- 
terial from him; NO SECRET ARRANGEMENTS AGAINST HIM. 
All the fair competition you choose, but no unfair competition of any kind. 
And then when unfair competition is eliminated, let us see these gentlemen 
carry their tanks of zvater on their backs. ALL THAT I ASK AND ALL 
THAT I SHALL FIGHT FOR IS THAT THEY SHALL COME 
INTO THE FIELD AGAINST MERIT AND BRAINS. EVERY- 
WHERE. IF THEY CAN BEAT OTHER AMERICAN BRAINS, 
THEN THEY HAVE GOT THE BEST BRAIN:" 



United States Senator Robert M- LaFollette of Wisconsin, before an 
audience in the Auditorium at Minneapolis, Minnesota, is quoted in the 
Milwaukee Free Press, January 2, 1913 as follows: — 

"WE SHOULD MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR SMALL PRO- 
DUCERS TO COMPETE WITH THE BIG ONES ON EVEN 
TERMS." 

[6] 



Sliort-Iiand notes by Ada B. Shier 

The hearing was long, tedious and difficult to report, but materiaUy 

the text is complete. 

Annotated by the Pnblisher 

For fear of changing the meaning, no attempt has been made to edit 

the remarks of the members of the committee 

Edited by George L. Buttrick 



Three general styles of type have been used in this work. Italics are used 
for excerpts from the public press and reports cited up to page 42. Matter not 
having been placed before the committee is enclosed in brackets, as well as the 
annotations by Mr. Guffin. The bold-faced type up to page 22 indicates exact 
quotations from the committee report. Foot notes, bold-faced type matter and 
editorials after page 42 are by the editor and the publisher. Due credit is given 
for matter quoted. 

THE HEARING AND 
THOSE HEARD 

MR. HOMER F. WATERMAN, Secretary-Treasurer, Michigan 
Federation of Labor, Kalamazoo, Michigan. 
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen : — 

At a convention held in Grand Rapids last fall, the question of school 
text-books came before our convention and was discussed at some length. 
The trade unionists from all over the country voiced their opinion as to 
which was the most logical in regard to text-books ; whether free text- 
books or a uniform system of text-books. After a discussion of three 
hours it was decided in favor of the uniform, free text-book system, 

Many arguments were used in discussing the question and one partic- 
ularly was this : — In Lansing you have a certain kind of text-books and a 
man with three or four children who moves to Lansing from Leslie would 
have to make an entire change of books for his family, and the Leslie child 
could not then follow alorig in the educational work that was being done 
in his grade but would have to fall back. Whether this is true or not I 
shall not attempt to say because I haven't moved around and had children 
to take with me under these conditions. That was one of the arguments, 
however, that was brought forward in favor of state uniformity. 

There is here tonight a representative of organized labor in this coun- 
try ; — a man who has made a study of this question, for a good many years 
and one who has books to show us which he has accumulated in the study 
of the same from the different parts of the country, and he is better able 
to discuss these matters — relating to state uniformity of text-books — far 
better than I would be and I ain going to give my time to him. This gen- 
tleman comes from the Allied Printing Trades' Council of Chicago — Mr. 
James T. Gufifin. 

MR. GUFFIN:— 
Mr. Chairman and members of the committee : — 

You have rightfully assembled her^ as delegates from all parts of the 
state to listen to those things which would be of advantage to all the 

[7] 



8 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

people of the state. The legislature is organized into committees and any- 
one appearing before those committees is talking to the people of the state 
in an oflScial capacity. That is the only way to get around. The coun- 
try is too big — the United States is too large — too many states and the 
time is too short [to do otherwise]. 

I shall show tonight that the school men of Michigan, or their official 
representatives, are either WOEFULLY IGNORANT OR HOPE- 
LESSLY CORRLTPT [concerning school legislation]. Those are strong 
terms but I have the goods. I shall start first on what labor requires of 
the school people : — • 

THE SUPREME COURT OF MICHIGAN, Vol. 30, page 79 [last 
paragraph] reads: — "In the very first executive message after the consti- 
tution went into effect, the governor, in view of the fact that 'our insti- 
tutions have leveled the artificial distinctions existing in the societies of 
other countries, and have left open to everyone the avenues to distinction 
and honor', admonished the legislature that it was their IMPERIOUS 
DUTY to secure to the state a general diffusion of knowledge, and that 
'this can in no wise be so certainly effected as by the perfect organization 
of a UNIFORM and liberal system of common schools'. Their 'attention 
was therefore called to the effectuation of a perfect school system, open 
to all classes, as the surest basis of public happiness and prosperity' ". 

Ycu will notice it says "UNIFORM". Now a thing cannot be UNI- 
FORM unless it IS UNIFORM. 

I quote from the Chicago Daily Journal, [Friday, January 3L 1913] : — 

"The object of American schools is not to furnish ready trained em- 
ployees for railroads and factories. It is rather to turn out young citizens 
equipped with an understanding of the rights, duties, ideals and ambitions 
of themselves and their fellows. Before going too far on the road of in- 
dustrial education it zvould be tvell to pause long .enough to assimilate this 
fact." 

I now quot-e from a letter of one who signs himself "Pessimist" in the 
Detroit Free Press, Sunday, January 26, 1913:. — 

"To the Editor: — 'Higher education' has been the slogan in Detroit's 
high schools so long now that one zvonders in zirhat does that term con- 
sist when applied to the young zvoman who has graduated from the high 
school and zvhose parents are not able to send her to college. 

"Detroit's present school system is, to my thinking, lamentably nar- 
rozv. Everything is planned with consideration for the colleges of the 
country, leaving it to the homes to teach the practical things of life. 

"Why is it not possible to have our high school course divided intO' 
zvhat zve might call two distinct courses? One voe might style the 'acade- 
mic course' , designed for those pupils zvhose parents are contemplating a 
college training afterzvards , and the other zvhat might be styled a 'domestic 
course'. ■ 

"Of zvhat use is it to make our city attractive to outsiders as a possi- 
ble place of residence if zve are not going to giz'e their children a means of 
education as broad as it can be made? 

"Is it not time that zve cut out some of the frills, get down to bed-rock 
and install a school system broad enough to become an e.vample to the 
zvhole zvorld?" 



NEWSPAPER ARTICLES 9 

In the Milwaukee Free Press, Tuesday morning, February, 11, 1913, 
we find the following : — 

"Modern tendency of vocational training in the public schools was 
condemned as 'child labor' by L. F. Bozver, vice-president of the Allis- 
Chalmers Co. in a talk before the Parents' and Teachers' club of the West 
Division high school last night. 

"I have no sympathy zvith that system of education zvhich tends to give 
a boy zvhat he zifanti* because no boy at school age knozvs zvhat he is going 
to do or zvhat he is best titled for," said Mr. Bozver, "and the training that 
he receives, merely gets him into a rut and is so much time zvasted before 
the boy really knozvs zvhat he is going to be. 

"To my mind it is a sort of child labor. The child is forced to learn 
these things zuhen he ought to be getting that CULTURE zvhich he can- 
not get at his home but can get only in school. You are shrinking and 
curbing the e.vistence of the child zvhcn you take that thing azvay from 
him. 

"With all the hue and cry against them, I still have faith in the school 
curricula because, fundamentally, I believe they are right. There is no 
need of putting fads and frills into those zvho haven't the capacity to use 
them." 

Mr. Bozver pointed out that the proper subjects taught in school should 
be those zvhich train the mind so that zvhen the boy goes into his life zvork 
he has the capacity to grasp and solve problems he meets. 

DR. P. P. CLAXTON, United States Commissioner of Education, 
Washington, D. C, [in an address to the^teachers at Grand Rapids, Mich- 
igan,] says, as reported in the Grand Rapids Herald, Tuesday morning, 
January 28, 1913 :— 

"There must be more continuity betzveen the grades of the school. I 
estimate one-fourth of the teacher's time to be zvasted in finding out zvhat 
the last teacher taught. 

"Shozv the pupil zvhere his lessons Ht into the future, zvhich is half his 
life ; zvhere they zuill help hint to make a bigger, better man, and he zvill be 
eager to learn them." 

I want to say further that if it is true what Dr. Claxton says that one- 
fourth of the teacher's time is spent in finding out what the child knows 
or ought to know, if you can reduce that time to one-eighth, you will 
have saved for efficiency forty dollars [per year of the teacher's time] for 
every teacher in the state of Michigan, which means $600,000 ; [more than 
the yearly] total cost of all books. 

COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT E. J. TOBIN, [Cook County, III], 
in the Chicago Daily Journal, Thursday, December 26, 1912, says: — 

"It is almost criminal to permit the children of our rural and small vil- 
lage schools to be put under youthfid, inexperienced persons, zvith no one 
to guide, supervise or direct their efforts. 

*Thelwall thought it very unfair to influence a child's mind by in- 
culcating any opinions before it had come to years of discretion to choose 
for itself — I showed him my garden, and told him it was a botanical 
garden. "How so?" he said, "it is covered with weeds." "Oh," I re- 
plied, "that is only because it has not come to its age of discretion and 
choice. The weeds, you see, have taken the liberty to grow, and I thought 
it unfair in me to prejudice the soil towards roses and strawberries." 

Coleridge. 



10 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

"The nezv street car man is always put under the tutelage of an ex- 
perienced motorman or conductor before he is given charge of a car. The 
young man zvho zvishes to become a plumber, bricklayer or carpenter 
alzmys has to go through a like experience. Even the nezv salesgirl or the 
office clerk is not told to go ahead on the first day zvithout some instruction. 

"In the rural schools there have been absolutely no requirements. Nezv 
teachers, zvho have never assigned a lesson or conducted a recitation, have 
been given certificates, assigned to schools and told to go to zvork and in- 
struct the children zvithout an hour of skilled preparation hi the art of 
teaching." 

In Illinois, of the 22,000 teachers, some 16,000 are not even high school 
graduates. Something has to be done, and the only thing to be done is to 
have a course of" study that fits into these books so closely that anyone can 
follow it. 

[STATE OF ILLINOIS 

Department of Public Instruction 

springfield 

March 6, 1913. 
Mr. James T. Guffin,' 

Battle Creek, Michigan. 
Dear Sir: — Replying to your Western Union night letter, concerning 
the number of public school teachers of Illinois, also the number that are 
not graduates of any school : — 

For the year ending June 30, 1912, there were 30,366 teachers regu- 
larly employed in the public schools of Illinois. The following is a state- 
ment of their professional preparation as reported to this office : — 
Number of teachers that are graduates of a 

College and State Normal School 528 

College, only, 2,105 

State Normal School, only, 2,169 

Four-year high school, only, 9,425 

None-graduates 16,139 

Total 30,366 

Many of those reported as non-graduates have had some training in 
high schools, colleges, or State normal schools, but did not reach gradua- 
tion. 

Yours sincerely, 

F. G. Blair, 
W/T Superintendent.] 

[IF YOU BELIEVE IN YOUR SUPREME COURT DECISIONS 
AND IN THE WANTS OF THE PEOPLE AS REFLECTED FROM 
THE NEWSPAPER ITEMS QUOTED, TAKEN AT RANDOM 
FROM ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN AND WISCONSIN PUBLICA- 
TIONS, NONE OF WHICH WAS INSPIRED IN SO FAR AS I 
KNOW, YOU MUST HAVE A STATE EDUCATIONAL COM- 
MISSION, UNIFORM BOOKS AND COURSE OF STUDY, AS 
CALLED FOR IN THE DUNN-YOUNG SUBSTITUTE BILL]. 

I will read from the report of the text-book committee appointed by 
the Michigan State Teachers' Association, and the Michigan Association 
of School Boards and City Superintendents, and headed : — 

"AGAINST STATE=WIDE UNIFORMITY OF TEXT=:BOOKS" 
"Reduced cost of text=books. — The first and last argument of the 
advocate of state=wide uniformity is that by using the same books 



ADVANTAGES OF STATE UNIFORMITY 11 

over the entire state, a better price can be secured from the pub- 
lishers on account of the large volume of business involved in a state 
contract." 

I will now read from the 1911 report of the State Commissioner of 
Common Schools of Ohio, Mr. Frank W. Miller. 

"The Patterson law requires that all pupils who graduate from the 
eighth grade must pass the same examination over the entire State of 
Ohio. With such a variety of texts as are now in use, it is impossible to 
make a list of questions which is fair to the children. The child's exam- 
ination should be based upon the text he used in school. The nomenclature 
used in the different texts in grammar is chaotic in the extreme. It not 
only confuses the child but also often puzzles the teacher. To make a list 
of questions in granpnar zvhich zi'ould be fair to all children alike, is a 
physical impossibility until there is more uniformity of zvork in that sub- 
ject. 

No. I. "Not only does state uniformity of text-books secure to the 
child text-books at the lowest possible price, but it also adds to the effi- 
ciency of the schools." 

No. 2: — [It prevents all overcharges on the part of retail dealers.] 

No. 3: — [It insures an adequate supply of school books on hand at all 
times, thereby avoiding delay in getting books from the publishers with- 
out entailing a loss of time awaiting books, coupled with additional trans- 
portation charges. This would be the case in rural districts without su- 
pervision, and after the first order, transportation charges would have to 
be borne by the local district, even if a single book was all that was 
needed." This would apply under a FREE BOOK SYSTEM : LOCAL 
ADOPTION.] 

No. 4: — "It secures a better class of books to schools in general by 
having the selection made by professionally skilled and capable men. 

No. 5 : — "It gives unity to the educational forces of the state. 

No. 6: — "It makes it possible to p-oduce a uniform course of study; 
to plan institute outlines, based upon the uniform texts; to issue frequent 
bulletins upon the best pedagogic methods of procedure in teaching th<f 
various lessons. [The same being subject to the approval and criticism 
of all school men in the state; hence securing a splendid guide for all.] 

No. y. — "It enables teachers to become thorough masters of the sub- 
ject matter and thoroughly acquainted with the te.rts they are required to 
teach. Under Ohio's present system [TOWNSHIP UNIT cities ex- 
empt], every time a teacher goes to a neiu school, he must use and become 
familiar with new texts. 

No. 8: — "It permits teachers who visit other schools to find the same 
lessons taught zvhich they, themselves, have to teach. This makes visiting 
day both interesting and instructive. 

No. 9 : — "It permits the educational forces of the state to concentrate 
th'eir efforts upon the same series of lessons; to discuss the methods and 
purposes of their teaching so that the inexperienced teacher is set upon 
the right track. ['Tt raises the standard of teaching in the weaker teacher 
without lowering that of the stronger."] 

10: — "It permits institute instructors and the state department to be 
specific, father than general, in dealing zvith school subjects. Too much 
of our pedagogic zvork has been zvanting in specific application. 

No. 11: — "Improvements in the various text-books can be demanded 
until they suit the needs of the schools. 

No. 12 : — "It avoids frequent and unnecessary change of books." 

[The foregoing reasons twelve in number, thoroughly and absolutely 



12 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

refute the first statement quoted on page 10, from the report of the text- 
book investigating committee appointed by the Michigan State Teachers' 
Association and Michigan Association of School Boards and City Super- 
intendents. ] 

["Under our present system, every time a pupil removes from one 
tozvnship or school district to another, he is obliged to buy new books. 
This not only causes unnecessary expense, but often causes a break in the 
continuity"^ of his school work."] 

[None of the results of the foregoing reasons, except the portion 
referring to the individual ownership of books, could be obtained under a 
FREE TEXT-BOOK SYSTEM; LOCAL ADOPTION such as is ad- 
vocated by those agitating free books at the present time in Michigan. 
This advocacy is clearly in the interest of a restriction of competition as 
in vogue today in all school districts of Michigan outside the cities and 
villages — more than 6000 in number — and comprising about one-half of 
the school enrollment of the state. And these schools, with comparatively 
few exceptions are supplied by the American Book Company. 

One of the reasons for this is that school officers, in buying books in 
small quantities, want to save letter writing and transportation charges by 
placing their entire order for all text-books with one house. 

There is only one house that has books on all subjects from primers 
to dictionaries, and that is the American Book Company. 

This is the one "local condition" that makes free books ; local adop- 
tion ; practically beyond competition with all publishing houses aside from 
the American Book Company.] 

"A child becomes accustomed to a text book and should not be obliged 
to change in the midst of a subject. The topics in the different texts on 
the same subject are often differently arranged and as a result, the child 
on removing into another district, is frequently turned back in his zvork 
when it is no fault of his ozun. The money which the nezu books cost, as 
a result of the change, can be earned, but the year zuhich the child loses in 
his school life is gone forever. The burden falls most heavily -upon those 
who can least afford it. The tenant zuho is obliged -to move frequently 
■finds this quite a burden. With uniform texts, the same books are used in 
the same grades in all schools and the child can be easily transferred from 
one school system into another zuithout loss'of time or break in the con- 
tinuity of his school zvork." 

[The break in continuity of school work and necessity of change in 
the midst of a subject by reason of removal, and the school life that is gone 
forever, can not be obviated by a system of free text-books under local 
ADOPTION. Different methods, strange teachers, cost of a new set of school 
books at an age when many books are required and the usefulness of the 
child to his parents tends to his dropping out of school and the usual idle 
time and association with his elders, if driven into the work-shop, are 
contributing tendencies to delinquency.] 

"Opponents to the uniform text-book system say a teacher should be 
permitted to choose his own- books. In the rural schools the tenure of 
office of most teachers is brief and they cannot use for many years the 
books they have chosen. But hotu many of our rural teachers, [or city 
teachers] actually choose their own books? Investigate and you zvill find 
the number very small. Unfortunately it is not alzvays the merit of the 
book zvhich determines its adoption, but too often, the persuasive pozvers 
of the agent and hozv good a fellozv he may be. 

*See what Dr. P. P. Claxton says about more continuity on page 9. 



"CERTIFICATE" PLAN OF SECURING BUSINESS 13 

"We also hear that books should be adopted to suit local conditions. 
What are these local conditions? As far as your commissioner has been 
able to ascertain, they are the prejudices and previous training of the 
teacher himself. The teacher zvho is full of his subject can teach from 
any book which an intelligent commission would select. 

"At present only a few of the larger book companies have a sufficient 
force of agents to canvass the rural and village districts, ivith the result 
that these districts are supplied ivith books almost wholly by these fezu 
companies. With a state-zuide system of uniform text-books the bars zvill 
be thrown dozmi for the competition of all book companies, large and 
small. This will enlarge the number of books from zvhich to select. The 
competition for these large contracts zvill be intense and in order Jo gain 
them the various companies zvill produce the best books possible and zvill 
offer them at the lozvest possible price, to the benefit of schools and their 
patrons. 

"it is an easy matter for one to become fixed in his habit of thinking. 
This is true of teachers as well as of other people. It is also an easy mat- 
ter for one to become fixed in the method of doing, certain things and to 
refuse to make a change, even if it be for the better. It is said that a vat- 
tiable cart was allozved to rot on a South American estate for the reason 
that the native laborers refused to use it because it did not squeak like 
their old, zvooden carts." 

If you have had any experience as a school-book agent among the 
rural, [and city] schools, you will know that the directors and agents 
select the books, directly or indirectly, and there is no getting around it. 

The Wisconsin Investigating committee has discovered a paper, which 
has the appearance of a state document, headed, 

CERTIFICATE OF ADOPTION 
STATE OF WISCONSIN 

It is set in Old English type and is a filled-in form showing that a 
school board meeting was held at a stated time and a list of books was 
adopted, which list is printed in full on its face. 

Below this list, is an extract from the state law, which specifies the 
legal term of adoption before a change in books can again be made. On 
the back, across the left end, is a blank form for the list of books dis- 
placed and another form for notation of filing which would convey the in- 
ference that it was to be filed with the County Recorder. 

The name of the American Book Company does not appear on either 
side of the document-. This was brought out by the Wisconsin Investigat- 
ing Committee. Another list of books, printed on different paper, not 
signed, but purporting to be a recommended list of text-books, is in t3'pe- 
writer type. This list contains the titles of many more^ books than are 
shown on the "certificate of adoption" here-to-fore mentioned. You can 
see how easy it would be to fool the average school director into believing 
that the list appearing on the "certificate of adoption" was the one requir- 
ed by the state authorities, unless the director cared to substitute some- 
thing from the "recommended list." 

All the books appearing on both lists are publications of the American 
Book Company and the school director, having to order the books direct 
himself from the publisher under a free text-book .local adoption law, to 
save time and expense, would naturally want to order them all from one 
house. 

The agent drives up to the school director's door and may give the im- 
pression that it is a list of books necessary. The director calls a meeting ; 



14 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

the "certificate" is filled out and the matter is tied up for another three 
years, when the agent comes around again. [It would be tied up for five 
years in Michigan.] 

[The explanation made before the Wisconsin text-book investigating 
committee by Mr. L. M. Dillman, Western Manager of the American 
Book Company, was, that when the before-mentioned "certificate of 
adoption" was received in the mail, it was quickly known in the offices of 
"the American Book Company just to which correspondent it should be 
thrown. This clearly indicates that this method was adopted for the use 
of their agents, not alone in Wisconsin, but in several states.] 

Nobody knows when these [local adoption] contracts expire except 
the American Book Companj^ [or other publishers who may have had an 
agent on the ground before], in every district when that contract expires. 
What kind of a chance would a competitor have in a matter like that ? 

[Should competitors canvass the county and then, after getting the in- 
formation, it should come time to enter into new contracts, they would be 
obliged to meet the argument of wanting to buy of one concern the books 
on all subjects. 

The underlying idea would be to save time and trouble for the school 
officers. This is true under the present system and would be true under 
FREE BOOKS with LOCAL ADOPTION, but it would NOT if the books were free 
and unifonn in any local district of the state. This is so because, as pro- 
vided in the bill, the local district could obtain their books from a deposit- 
ory in the state in the same manner and at the same price as the local 
dealer.] 

In my travels over the state I struck St. Johns, the home of Mr. Brun- 
son, president of the St. Johns School Board and chairman of your In- 
vestigating ( ?) committee which has issued a circular against state-wide 
uniformity. Here I obtained this circular, (holding up paper), gotten 
out by Travis & Shiley of St. Johns. This is the circular and it is 
headed : — 

"SCHOOL BOOKS AND SCHOOL BOOK PRICES." 

In it you will find this statement: — "We knozu as well as you do that 
school books cost too much money. They are about the dearest hooks to 
he had and they ought to be the cheapest. WE SELL THEM as cheap 
as we can and then some people think they have been robbed." 

In connection with the Straight-Pattengill debate, the people of St. 
Johns will know one of the parties who is responsible for the conditions as 
set forth in the above circular. [Mr. Brunson.] 

I can say, furthermore, that the school men of this state are not re- 
sponsible for this condition ; it is the legislature of this state. They created 
— they are the father of this child ; this school system. The book houses 
and the agents ran away with it. It is a state function to educate the child 
and the state [Legislature] is going to take it [placing the selection of 
school books] back and see if it cannot do better. At least it is going to 
attempt it. 

I hold in my hand the report entitled : — 

"AGAINST STATE- WIDE UNIFORMITY OF TEXT- 
BOOKS." 
from which I previously quoted. 

This is nothing but a school book [legislative] combine whitewash, 
pure and simple. I am going to call a "spade a spade" because I have the 
goods. 



MICHIGAN COMMITTEE REPORT CRITICIZED 15 

"State=Wide Uniformity Wrong in Principle." — From and educa^ 
tional point of view, it is a fundamental error to require uniformity 
of text=books over so wide an area as a state, because this would 
stifle educational progress. 

There isn't any stifling of educational progress, in any right uniform 
text-book bill ever presented. 

What are the ideas of Wisconsin men on uniformity? 

In the presence of Hon. Thos. J. Mahon, of Eland, Wis., chairman 
of the Wisconsin Text-book Investigation Committee, and myself, a 
prominent school man of Wisconsin made the statement that the prevail- 
ing idea among the school men of Wisconsin concerning state uniformity 
of text-books was according to the way it was accomplished in Indiana 
twenty years ago, whereupon I replied that I was not in favor of such a 
proceeding myself and on that basis I would stand with them on any such 
methods, but I furthermore stated that it was a tacit admission that the 
school men of Wisconsin were twenty years behind the times. 

In conversation with a prominent school man of Michigan, wherein I 
made the foregoing statement, he replied, "I think that it is the idea that 
prevails among the Michigan men." 

Quoting further from the before-mentioned report :: — 

"Uniform text=books would reduce education to a dead level 
and would tend to suppress individuality on the part of both 
teacher and pupil. The teacher who is to use a book should have 
some voice in its selection, for the text=books are the teachers' tools. 
Under a free text=book system no more reason exists for a state= 
wide uniformity text=book law in Michigan than for a law requiring 
farmers to use uniform plows; carpenters uniform saws; machinists 
uniform lathes." 

The teacher finds for several years after she comes into a district she 
has nothing to say about the selection of books, having to use those se- 
lected by some predecessor because the five year period had not expired. 
Then the superintendent, the school board and the book agent do that. 

I should think the school men of this state, in making a statement of 
that kind, would be absolutely ashamed. There is no law for a farmer to 
buy a plow, but there is one to have text-books and we are trying to get a 
better one requiring uniformity. The law does not require that he shall 
have a special uniform house, or any house at all, front or back. That 
doesn't make any diiiference. 

MR. FERGUSON :— Why should there be a law for the purchase of 
text-books ? Do you know that the law requires it ? 

A. Yes, they are up against the state law. 

MR. FERGUSON : — Suppose a farmer didn't have a plow ; what 
then? 

A. That is his business. If he doesn't have a plow he is not obliged 
to buy one. It is not compulsory. But the state compels you to buy text- 
books. 

MR. FERGUSON : — Are you sure that the state law compels the 
buying of text books ? 

A. The state law provides that the text books shall be bought under 
contract [adopted by local boards], and the way the law operates it makes 
it imperative. It provides that the electors may vote on the furnishing of 
books [if they are. to be free] , but they must have text books in the 
schools. The law says that whefT once adopted they must remain five 
years. Now, let us get down to brass tacks. You have to buy the text- 



16 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

books under state law whether they are adopted by the board or not 
They are selected for a period of time. 

MR. FERGUSON: — Well, if we are making a law to buy uniform 
text-books, why not have a law for the farmer to buy his plow ? 

A. The state doesn't plow the mind — the state educates it. 

MR. : — Well, under this bill, under penalty, the teach- 
ers must use the adopted books. 

A. That is not [wholly] true under the provisions of this bill. If you 
have read the bill understandingly you will know' -it ; No. 125 in the Senate; 
No. 193 in the House ; file No. 74 in the House. I will tell you just what 
the bill says. The only book required to be selected from the list is the 
basal book, except that you have been excused by the commission, and it 
provides for supplemental books which have been approved by the com- 
mission, and if the book comes out [is published one dav after the adop- 
tion has been made] tomorrow it can be approved by the commission and 
brought in, and your school board can buy it and can use it and in no case 
does the bill force the child to buy any book but the basal book. 

I quote again from the Investigating committee's report : — 

"Again, when the emphasis in the school is laid on the text= 
book, rather than on the subject matter, the teacher and school are 
apt to become mechanical." 

Then what we want is a course of study that fits this condition. 

MR. : — To make it mechanical ? 

■ A. No, sir; far from that. [i. e., obviating the necessity of teachers 
making the use of any book, his school or teaching mechanical. Stop and 
think! The books are now selected for five years, and are used b_v teach- 
; ers who had no voice in their selection. How are the schools to become 
any more mechanical or the teacher, b)^ the use of a book selected by a 
competent commission, in a more discriminating manner than they are 
now ?] 

I shall now quote further from report : — 

"It is absolutely impossible to select a list of text=books equally 
adapted to use in all parts of so large a state as Michigan." 

We probably have in the city of Chicago — a city with over 2,000,000 
inhabitants — more nationalities and more people of different dialects and 
speech from all parts of the world [than has the entire state of Michigan], 
and yet they have uniform text-books. Take Madison, Janesville, Racine, 
Milwaukee and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, — There must be something climatic 
that should cause them to have a dififerent brand of mathematics in every 
town you happen to be. They have five different kinds of mathematics 
[or books] in those five cities. 

MR. LYMAN : — Chicago has an open list on some books. 

A. ONE book — United States history only, and that is causing some 
trouble. [This can be handled by recourse to the approved list as provided 
for in the bill.] 

Again quoting from report of your committee: — 

"The length of the school year varies in different section of the 
state from five and six months in some rural districts, to ten in most 
of the cities. An arithmetic, geography or grammar with a year's 
work for a ten months' school will evidently contain too much ma= 
terial for a six months' school." 

[What an absurd statement for school men to make when there are no 
books on the subjects mentioned made for five and six months' school and 
there are practically no five and six months' schools in the state.] 



OPINIONS AND HOW FORMED 17 

Now you school men of Michigan are good, intelHgent men, alright 
and your intelHgence should be used as a state function and you should not 
give the benefit of your intelligence and wisdom only to the towns that 
pay you, because citizenship congests in these places and furnishes you 
with your jobs. You are all pretty good receivers but when you are asked 
for something in return, you are out. That has been my experience. 

Let us again quote from the report of Investigating committee:— 

"Your committee feels therefore that the OPINIONS and wishes 
of the school men of this state ought to be given large weight in 
the consideration of the proposed text=book measures." 

"As school people are the ones most directly interested in the 
use of text=books, we submit that their OPINION in this matter 
should be given careful consideration." 

That is in the report twice. That depends largely, gentlemen, where 
they get their information upon which they base their OPINION. 

[Here are some examples as to how teachers' OPINIONS are 
formed.] 

"Moderator-Topics," April 20, 1911, page 637, reads: — 

"It is hard to reconcile the vote of the legislators zt'ho will haggle and 
quibble over a fezu hundred dollars in appropriation bills, and then allow 
themselves to vote a tax of $500,000 or more on the people by passing, 
after a fezv moments consideration, the- YOUNG-STRAIGHT uniform 
text-book bill which, while not as rank as the bill championed by that gen- 
tleman two years ago, is yet a bit of entirely unnecessary legislation, and 
one that would surely lower the standard of our text-books." ' 

Now, that is a joke. $500,000 — think of it! When we are going to 
cover it without the cost of one single cent. And you get in here, [the 
report] a statement about the vast expense. I will have evidence before 
a great while to show that it will not cost any more than we are paying 
now, and after this you are going to get the books .cheaper. 

"Moderator-Topics," April 27, 1911, page 657, reads: — 

"N^o steps backzvard on the text-book question." 

"The House uniform text-book bill arrived in the Senate too late for 
consideration and died there. Peace to its ashes." 

"Of the 200 school board members and school superintendents in their ■ 
convention last zveek in Lansing, not one favored state uniformity of text- 
books; the sentiment was all in favor of free text-books." 

In "Moderator-Topics," May 4, 1911, page 677, we find: — 

"Saginaw has had free text-books in its schools for twenty-Uve years. 
Think of an average cost per pupil per year of only fifty cents for all the 
text-books needed, including high schools." 

Fifty cents! Mr. Pattengill [or Moderator-Topics], skimped about 
five cents and then the gentleman [who made the figures] mis-stated a few 
cents more, so that it seems all to have been one sided, [on the FREE 
BOOK, LOCAL ADOPTION side.] 

MR. WARRINER:— (?) 

A. You figure the cost to the people on the enrollment. The fines 
you deduct, but the people pay them. 

MR. WARRINER : — You don't think it proper to deduct the fines ? 

A. Not before you figure what it costs the people [per enrolled 
pupil. ] This is about $2900 for the purchase of books and you deduct 
$250 from that for the fines you have collected from the people [before 
dividing by the enrollment.] 



18 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

Now the fact that the people pay the fines [under a free book system] 
— is not that taken from the people? [There are no fines where patrons 
buy books directly.] 

MR. : — Whenever a boy tears a book it costs him some- 
thing ? 

A. If he tears his own book that is his business. 

MR. : — It may cost him another book; it depends on 

where he tears it. 

A. Oh, don't hand me anything like that. I've been away from home, 
some. 

"Moderator-Topics" of May 4, 1911, page 680, contains a report of a 
meeting of the school men of this state [held at the Downey hotel, Lan- 
sing], and resolutions were adopted against state uniformity before this 
[investigating] committee was appointed. I will surprise )^ou pretty soon 
by what you [investigators] did NOT FIND. 
RESOLUTIONS 

"/. Whereas, An agitation has been maintained in the State of Mich- 
igan for some years past in favor of a state school hook law providing for 
imiform school hooks to he used in all the public schools of the state, an 
agitation which was expressed in the recent session of the legislature 
[zvhi-ch adjourned April ig] in a bill providing not only for uniform school 
books, but also for a uniform course of study for the schools of Michigan, 
now, therefore he it; 

Resolved, That the joint meeting of the school hoards and school su- 
perintendents HEREBY OPPOSE THE IDEA OF STATE-WIDE 
UNIFORMITY OF SCHOOL BOOKS AND COURSES OF STUDY, 
as tending to check the_ growth in our schools and stifle progress; 

Resolved, That we hereby express our belief that the solution of the 
school book question IS A MANDATORY FREE SCHOOL BOOK 
LAW WHICH WILL REOUIRE EVERY COUNTRY DISTRICT 
AND CITY TO PROVIDE SCHOOL BOOKS AS IN ITS JUDG- 
MENT THE NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT REQUIRE; 

[This is an absurd joke for a body of educators to say that one country 
district, needs different books from the district a mile up the road under 
the present five-year adopting law], and 

Resolved, That the president of the school hoard association and the 
president of the superintendents' association he hereby instructed to ap-. 
point a committee of seven, composed of the state superintendent of pub- 
lic instruction, three school hoard members and three superintendents, tzvo 
of zvhom shall be the present presidents of these associations, to INVES- 
TIGATE [?] this subject and to AROUSE PUBLIC SENTIMENT 
THROUGHOUT THE STATE IN FAVOR OF FREE TEXT- 
BOOKS to the end that the next session of our legislature may enact 
such a law; and further 

Resolved, That this committee be authorized to petition the State 
Teachers' Association for the appropriation of money not to exceed $500, 
to defray the expenses of this INVESTIGATION. ' 

[From the four preceding resolves you will see they were directed 
NOT to investigate the question of state uniformitv but the committee 
was for the purpose of securing a law for FREE TEXT BOOKS, 
LOCAL ADOPTION, which would operate clearly in the interest of one 
concern and that concern, The American Book Company, as can be 
shown by the testimony of the publishers taken by the Wisconsin State 
Text-Book Investigation Committee.] 

IV. Resolved, that the joint association of school boards and super- 



RESOLUTIONS IN FAVOR OF MONOPOLY 19 

intendents go on record as approving the mandatory TOWNSHIP 
UNIT plan of school districts for the entire state of Michigan. 

Note relation of TOWNSHIP UNIT to Mr. Fitzpatrick's address on page 20. 

INCONSISTENCY 

[Note careuflly the following which is Section VII., and part of Sec- 
tion VIIL, of the same set of resolutions, portions of which are directly 
here-to-fore cited, remembering that the following preamble and resolu- 
tion was. passed by the same body of men, who stood for lack of uniform- 
ity and for disorganization in methods of instruction, wherein the Ameri- 
can Book Company was vitally interested. The following, however, 
would not have greatly affected the business of the American Book Com- 
pany, but is uniformity pure and simple.] 

["VII. In view of the situation that there is little harmony in the 
teaching of penmanship in the public schools throughout the state, and 
that there is a lack of preparation of teachers to present the subject of 
writing in an intelligent and effective manner, the committee recommends, 
first, that the superintendents of the state solicit the co-operation of the 
state superintendents to have better and more uniform methods of teach- 
ing penmanship incorporated in the course of study and second, that the 
superintendents of the state use their influence to have more systematic 
and more thorough instruction given in the fundamentals of good hand 
writing in our state and county normals, so that tea-chers going out from 
these institutions may be able to write zuell on the black board and oit 
paper and may be also well qualified to teach penmanship in the public 
schools.] ■ 

"[Resolved, That the joint meeting of the school boards and superin- 
tendents of the state of Michigan hereby approves of the idea of uniform 
statistical records and reports covering all matters of educational interests, 
vis., enrollment and promotion of pupils, payments and receipts, cost of 
education, etc."] 

[THE FOREGOING IS STATE UNIFORMITY BUT NOT IN A 
SENSE THAT IT WOULD BE LIABLE TO JEOPARDIZE TO 
ANY CONSIDERABLE EXTENT THE BUSINESS OF THE 
PUBLISHING HOUSES WHICH SEEK TO MONOPOLIZE THE 
BUSINESS OF MICHIGAN BY REASON OF THE- EXISTING 
STATE LAW GOVERNING THE SALE OF TEXT-BOOKS, 
YOU CAN READILY SEE THAT WHEN THE AMERICAN 
BOOK COMPANY ACQUIRED BY PURCHASE THE NUMER- 
OUS PUBLISHING FIRMS IT BROUGHT TO IT A COLLECT- 
IVE AND STEADY SALE FOR ITS PUBLICATIONS AND THE 
MARKET WAS SO DIFFICULT FOR THEIR COMPETITORS 
TO REACH THAT AFTER A FEW DISASTROUS ATTEMPTS 
THEY PRACTICALLY QUIT.] 

Now we get the TOWNSHIP UNIT plan again in the next issue of 
"Moderator-Topics," May 11, 1911, page 697:— 

"The amendment to the TOWNSHIP UNIT lazv giving zvomen the 
right to sign petitions and vote on the question of organising the township 
into a school district, should residt in placing many more schools under 
the provisions of the law." 

I now quote from "Moderator-Topics," May~25, 1911, page 737: — 

"Every county teachers' association and teachers' meeting held in this 
state during the coming year should urge the adoption of the free te.vt- 
book plan by school districts." 

"Moderator-Topics," January 11, 1912, savs on page 373: — 

"Help along the campaign for the TOWNSHIP UNIT." 



20 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

In the issue of "Moderator-Topics," Feb. 1, 1912, page 434, we find: — 

"Hon. H. E. Straight of Coldzvater is bttsy as a boy batting bumble 
bees trying to load on to Michigan a law that ivonld set the educational 
work of. the state back tzventy years. Of course he may not know 
this, but 'tis true never-the-less, and if by apathy, thoughtlessness and over- 
iveening fondness for petty cheapness, regardless of true zvorth and effi- 
ciency, enough vealy thinkers are ivheedled, cajoled or bribed into unload- 
ing on to this state the dangerous and out-dated system of state uniformity 
of text-books, zve shall turn our faces backwards and retrograde educa- 
tionally. Books are next to teachers as educational factors. Let us have 
the best at as lozv rates as possible.* We can reach the ideal byjree text- 
books or the contract plan; not by state uniformity." 

[You see where tlie school men and teachers get their OPINIONS 
that they ask the legislature to endorse.] 

In an address by MR. FRANK A. FITZPATRICK, of Boston, Mass., 
[resident manager of the American Book Company] at a meeting of the 
educational association held in the Southern Hotel, St. Louis, Missouri, 
on February 29, 1912, he said: — 

"In my opinion Massachusetts is fifty years — anyzuay I zvill say years 
■ — ahead of any other American commonwealth in its solution of the prob- 
lems involved in a representative government. Now, the text-book lazv 
on the Massachusetts statute books for Ufty years is as follozvs: — 'Changes 
may be made in the text-books used in a town at any time — a town, of 
course, in Massachusetts is, in fact a TOWNSHIP, as we zvould say in the 
West — "notice of this change having been given at a previous meeting 
and two-thirds of the members of the board voting in favor of it." 

Simple — compact — progressively conservative — affording opportunity 
for changes requiring careful consideration. 

And it doesn't say that a board should use a book for tzuo years, or for 
three years, or for four years, or five years, or one day. 

Last year the legislature of Massachusetts passed an act requiring the 
superintendent of schools to make his recommendation of text-books to 
the board of education as a pre-requisite to action on the part of the 
board of education. In other words, no board of education in Massa- 
chusetts can legally act on the question of text-books until after the su- 
perintendent has made his recommendation." 

Again quoting from the report of the Investigating Committee : — 

"In connection with the question of the cost of text=books under 
state adoption it should be further noted that conditions exist under 
this system which operate to increase the expense of books. For 
example, it is a common practice in uniformity states to purchase 
supplementary books to be used with state books. 

[It is now, and for many years has been, "a common practice" for 
districts under supervision, to purchase supplementary books to be used 
in connection with the basal books selected by local adoption. In other 
words, if it has been the practice to use supplementary books under local 
adoption and it has been the practice to use supplementary books under 
state uniformity, why should an intelligent school man use the supple- 
mentary argument as against state uniformity and against doing away 
with the plan of local adoption. This is more absurd even than the 'uni- 
form plow' argument.] 

*Apathy, thoughtlessness, vealy thinkers, wheedling, cajoling — such extra- 
gant verbiage might be impressive if it were not ludicrous. "Let us have the 
best at as low rates as possible." — An excellent idea, but we are forced to ques- 
tion the sincereity of the "Moderator-Topics' " editor. His sounding brasses and 
tinkling symbols make a noise but they do not ring true. They are discordant to 
the moral ear. 



WORKING OF MINNESOTA MONOPOLY LAW 21 

MINNESOTA PLAN 

Again quoting from report of Investigating committee: — 

"Since, therefore, text=books can be bought as cheaply under the 
free text=book: system with local adoption as under state=wide 
adoption, thus avoiding the evils of state=wide uniformity and secur= 
ing all the advantages of free books, your committee earnestly urges 
the enactment of a free text=book law and the defeat of the uniform= 
ity bill." 

"If this bill [similar to the Minnesota law], becomes a law it will 
be a valuable safeguard and will secure to Michigan the benefit of 
the lowest prices available anywhere in the United States." 

With regard to the statement that you can get good books just as 
cheaply under the Minnesota plan as any other, we will take 'Frye's Gram- 
mar School Geography' (published by Ginn & Company) , $1.25 in Kala- 
mazoo ; 'Frye's Higher Geography" 88c under state unifonnity in Florida. 
That is the retail price in both places. The only diflference in the books 
is in the name on the covers, i. e., between 'Frye's Higher Geography' 
and 'Frye's Grammar School Georgraphy' [one blue cloth ; the other gray 
cloth]. Here is the list in Minnesota: — The [wholesale] price, 94c., 
exchange price is 88 cents; the retail exchange price under state uniform- 
ity is 44 cents. The exchange price is 100 per cent in advance. Figure 
the percentage and you will find there is nothing in the point made by the 
state investigating committee's report that you could get the books just 
as cheaply. 

Maury's Geography (published by The American Book Company), 
list price $1.25, wholesale price in Minnesota 94 cents ; retail price in 
South Carolina under state uniformity 88 cents ; exchange price 44 cents ; 
exchange price Minnesota 88 cents or 100 per cent advance. 

Q. What do you mean by exchange price? 

A. Price, when you turn in an old book and pay so much in money. 
You pay 88 cents in Minnesota under its plan recommended here, [by your 
Investigating committee and only 44 cents under state uniformity.] 

MEMBER OF COMMITTEE:— Isn't it true under the law you can 
get them at the list price? 

A. If they list them. The publishers don't list all their books and you 
cannot force them to if they don't want to. 

Q. Why can't they buy the other book? 

A. You can if you go to Florida and South Carolina. 

Q. Can't you order them from Chicago? 

A. They don't sell them in Chicago. The books are not put into the 
hands of the dealers in any place if the publishers don't want them to be. 
Suppose the book is listed at 88 cents in St. Paul. Nobody in the state 
knows it, except from the list and from the difference in price would nat- 
urally think it an inf«rior book, and it seems as if some school men would 
rather take some other book identical with this book, if they can pay a 
higher price for it. 

You take these histories (published by D. C. Heath & Company). One 
sells in Oklahoma at 75 cents retail ; 37 cents exchange. In Minnesota, 
75 cents wholesale and 70 cents exchange. Seventy cents in Minnesota 
against 37 cents in Oklahoma, exchange prices, and Minnesota is whole- 
sale and Oklahoma retail. The publisher under this Minnesota plan gets 
75 cents net, district paying freight, and only about sixty cents in Okla- 
homa, publisher paying the freight. These are identically the same books, 
as you see, (holding up books). These other histories gotten out by Scrib- 
ner are sold practically on the same basis as the Heath book as far as the 



22 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

Minnesota plan and state uniformity are concerned. There is no dif- 
ference. They (Scribner's books) are alike except the way the margins 
have been trimmed. Seventy-five cents in Indiana, retail — seventy cents 
exchange price in Minnesota and seventy-five cents wholesale price in 
Minnesota. 

Q. What is the exchange price in Indiana? 

A. I don't know. 

MEMBER OF COMMITTEE:— O. Are you giving us the price of 
books adoplred by these states? 

A. Yes, sir. [adopted or listed.] 

The school men will tell you that authorship governs the price. Here 
are three of them ; high school books ; one a 'Text-Book of Botany,' and two 
text-books entitled 'Plant Studies.' Their prices are listed in the book on 
the page opposite the title. All three are listed at $1.25 each. All three 
are published by Appleton & Company. The retail price on one in Mon- 
tana is $1.40 or 15 cents overcharge by dealer. The Michigan retail price 
on the other is $1.25 and the Kansas price on the third one, under state 
uniformity, is 83 cents — identically the same. The books are mechanically 
identical although they differ somewhat in thickness. The thinner book, 
paridoxically, is the most expensive. So you see authorship has nothing 
to do with the price in this case. 

Now, in Minnesota they list this 'Text-Book of Botany' at 94 cents 
wholesale, but they do not list this other book, which costs more to make, 
entitled 'Plant Studies' which sells in Kansas under state uniformity at a 
wholesale price of 75 cents ; retail price of 83 cents. They do not list this 
book in Minnesota at all. The wholesale price in Minnesota, as you see, 
is 94 cents and in Kansas 75 cents, but under state uniformity there is a 
wholesale profit or depositary expense that should be deducted from the 
75c which is something like 6 cents more, and would make it 69c net price 
to the publishers in Kansas and 94c net price to the publishers in Minne- 
sota. Yet you find your men [who have INVESTIGATED (?) this 
matter] telling you that you can get books just as cheaply under the 
Minnesota plan as under state uniformity. 

Take 'Webster's Common School Dictionary' as published by the Ameri- 
can Book Company. That is one book we know all about. The price 
of that book at retail is 72 cents and under state uniformity the people get 
it for 10 per cent less or 65 cents. This book is not listed in Minnesota at 
all. It is sold in the open market. That is, it is not listed according to the 
official bulletin after the law went into effect. 

Walsh's Arithmetic (published by D. C. Heath & Co. and bound in two 
parts), contains a total of 540 pages. The two books sell for 85 cents; 
40 cents for one and 45 cents for the other, while the complete work 
bound in one volume is only 45 cents. 

The book "Stepping Stones to Literature," published by Silver, Bur- 
dette & Co., costs 50 cents in Kalamazoo, where it appears with a colored 
golden rod design on the cover. This same book with plain design on the 
cover costs only 30 cents in AFabama. The Negroes in Kalamazoo and 
the Negroes "in Alabama use the same books. We iii Michigan pay 20 
cents more for the golden rod. 

MEMBER OF COMMITTEE :— Well, we ought to ; it is our state's 
flower. 

- They talk about inferior books in Indiana. I agree there. Wherever 
you have a commission that supresses all information and locks itself up 
in a room and knows all about school books, this is the kind of book 
(holding up book not "Stepping Stones") you are liable to get, especially 
when the commission is hampered b}' maximum price law. 



TABULATION SHOWING ECONOMY 23 

Here are "Frye's Elementary Georgraphy" and "Frye's First Steps 
in Geography," price 65 cents in Michigan ; wholesale price in Minne- 
sota, without a contract, 52 cents and with a five-year, written contract, 
48 cents ; exchange price 46 cents and this other book, "First Course in 
Geography," a more recently copyrighted book, intended for the same 
grade of pupil sells at retail in Florida, West Verginia and other states at 
40 cents, and 20 cents exchange. [Thus you see the exchange rate in 
uniformity states on this book is more than one-third less than the list 
or selling price in Michigan, and intended for the same grade work.] 

Also notice that the retail price under state uniformity is 20 per cent 
less than the wholesale price in Minnesota and the exchange price is 130 
per cent advance over state uniformity. Yet your investigating com- 
mittee tells you in their report that you get the books just as cheaply 
under the Minnesota plan, as you do under state uniformity. 

- School book publishers figure that the average wear of a school book 
is three years. Consequently when a child uses a book one year, one- 
third of the life of the book is gone and if it is used two years, two-thirds 
of its life is gone and at the end of the third year, new books must be pur- 
chased as the book is entirely worn out. Now, the exchange price under 
state uniformity is one-third of the list price and that is the cost of the 
books for the coming year. I told you this $500,000 proposition of addi- 
tional cost is a joke. 

[TABULATION 
Showing the saving in cost by making the change to a uniformity sys- 
tem as provided by the Dunn-Young bill. 
(Old System) 

Books bought in 1911, worn out 1914 no value 

Books bought in 1912, have Vs wearing value left in 1914 $167,000 

Books bought in 1913, have % wearing value left in 1914 333,000 

Books bought in 1914, new 500,000 



$1,000,000 
Estimated amount of books purchased annually : — 
1911 
$500,000 

1912 
$500,000 

1913 
$500,000 

(worn out) (Vs value) (% value) 1914 

$500,000 
Relative value of exchange allowances 
are made on any books ever purchased 
as well as on those in current use as 1911 1912 1913 

follows :— $333,000 $333,000 $333,000 

The exchange prices are about one-third of old list prices, and the new 
books purchased outright would be bought from twenty to forty per cent 
less.] 

Here are two books : — Tarr & McMurray's Geography ; — no diflPerence 
in the mechanical make-up. The only difiference is the color. One is 
black and yellow and the other is black and red. That is the color of the 
cover. Now, they sell that book for $1.10 in Michigan and 83 cents re- 
tail in Kansas. One dollar and ten cents under local adoption. 
Q. May I ask you if that is the price to the pupil ? 
A. Yes, sir, to the pupil. 
Q. Where the pupil buys the book? 



24 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

A. Yes, sir. 

Q. Don't they get good books on the Hst under state uniformity? 
A. Yes, sir. West Virginia and Oklalioma have good books. Florida 
recently adopted Milne's Arithmetic, which is considered as standard. 
Frye's Geography was recently adopted in West Virginia and Florida, and 
they use the same books in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. 
Q. What do they pay for that ? 
A. Eighty-eight cents, retail. 
O. And what is the retail price here? 

A. In this state, $1.25. Now these book publishers list their books 
differently. Here are two books; this one, (holding up book), costs one- 
third less to make, yet the publishers list them identically the same because 
they have different forms and different ways of listing books. Take the 
high school books ; the prices run the same way as far as state wide adop- 
tion [is concerned]. The adopted price for an algebra in Kansas 
under state uniformity is 55 cents retail, and the same book in Minnesota, 
but with leather on the back is 75 cents wholesale. 

MR. FERGUSON :— May I take those three arithmetics ? 
A. Yes, but don't take them very far. 

One more book I have here is the D'Ooge book, high school. This book 
sold at retail in Coldwater at $1.35 ; ten cents over the retail list price. In 
South Carolina and Kansas the same book is sold for 83 cents. No addi- 
tional charge to tax payers. The burden of sale and distribution falls 
upon the publisher. The average life of a book is three years. 

MR. SLAUSON : — The books last four years and often average five 
and six years with us. 

MR. GUFFIN :— Q. And are used daily? 
A. Yes ; by three different classes and they last four years. 
MR. GUFFIN : — A. Well, you are paying too much per capita if 
your books last four years and at the price you are paying, you are paying 
too great a total. You say that four years is the average life of the books 
used in your school system. Then all these authorities are wrong on basal 
books. 

MR. SLAUSON : — I mean supplemental books. 

A. I was talking about basal books. The point I was making was 
that the average life of the books is three years. When they are used one 
year they are a third gone. When they are used two years they are two- 
thirds gone and the exchange price is one-third under state uniformity. 
This amounts to approximately $500,000' per annum in the state of Mich- 
igan. 

Now this is promotional and demotional exchange and you haven't 
been investigating in the school text-book investigating business if you 
haven't heard about that. 

MR. GUFFIN : — Q. You are on the investigating committee and 
haven't heard anything about that? I will explain it to you. No trouble 
to show goods. 

A child that has left the sixth grade and has taken up the seventh grade 
work and needs an advanced geography and has a book left from the 
preceding grade that is of no value what-so-ever. Through this system 
he turns it over for the new book and pays only 65 cents, instead of $1.25 
for the new book. This was done by the American Book Company in 
South Carolina in 1911. Th'at is what we call promotional exchange. 

MR. SLAUSON : — Q. That same kind of exchange is made in the 
states like this; is it not? 

A. I haven't heard of it. You have what you call gradual introduc- 
tion. But this bill that you father here says, "grade for grade". Whv 



MR. E. E. CARPENTER OF MUSKEGON 25 

didn't you get "promotional" put in it? Certainly you people don't seem 
to know how to investigate. You want a good investigator. 

Demotional exchange is going down. Now you may have an old third, 
fourth or fifth reader about the house somewhere. If that is so you can 
get an allowance on any reader you may wish to purchase of a lower 
grade. 

Promotional and Demotional exchange gives every old book a com- 
mercial value and takes every book offered by patrons or dealers out of 
the state. 

■ MR. STRAIGHT:— O. Will you explain how promotional and de- 
motional exchange was brought about? 

A. Competition. When the commission in South Carolina opened 
the bids it found that one firm had bid in this way. The members then 
threw out all the bids and required new bids on this basis. As I said, it 
brings open competition. Now, what is that? It is just what we want 
here. Throw out all the bids and make them bid the same way. 

Mr. Pattengill says there are 179 publishers in this business. I think 
that about 35 would cover all that would come into this state. Competi- 
tion has brought about better books at less money. 

MR. STRAIGHT:— O. J\Ir. Guffin, please state why uniformity in 
Indiana has not been satisfactory. 

A. They formerly had what is known as a maximum price per book 
down there. They have a rate now of not to exceed $6.00 for the entire 
cost of books. They cannot pay over $6.00 for the books up to and cov- 
ering the eighth grade. By the way, it may be interesting to this commit- 
tee to know that in spite of dissatisfaction that has been expressed with 
regard to uniformity in Indiana, they have recently introduced a bill cov-" 
ering the high school books and they passed it in the Senate by a vote of 
38 to 1. You perhaps have not heard of this, as it happened only within 
the last month. 

MR. FERGUSON:— O. You are from Chicago? 

A. Yes. I have lived there for 33 3'ears. 

MR. AMBERSON:— Q. I do not understand, yet, why you come 
here? 

A. I speak for the Allied Printing Trades' Council of Chicago and I 
have appeared all over the United States in the interest of organized labor 
in behalf of the uniform text-book law. I was introduced here as spokes- 
man for the Michigan Federation of Labor. 

MR. E. E. CARPENTER 

MR. CARPENTER, Muskegon: — In-as-much as I am a stranger to 
practically all except Senator Odell, I think I had better state something 
about my position so you will know whether or not I am in a position to 
know anything about what I am talking about. I have been for nine 
^ years a member of the Board of Education of the city of Muskegon. For 
eight years I was Secretary of the Board, and since last July, President. 
The board consists of six members. During all this time I have been a 
member of the board I have been familiar with the conditions and teach- 
ers in the schools and the text-books. And whether I know anything or 
not about the question of text-books I have had some opportunity for 
learning. 

As I understand it there are three subjects before this committee at 
present, bearing on text-books. One, 'Shall the districts furnish the text- 
books free to pupils?' Second, 'Shall some committee detrmine what the 
text-books shall be that are used throughout the state, to make uniform 
the books used in all districts?' Third, 'How to regulate the cost.' 

Several of the gentlemen will speak to you so I will speak more par- 



26 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

ticularly on free text-books and leave the other subjects to them. One of 
the bills is purely and simply for free text-books. One provides uniform 
text-books, as is supposed, but you never get the result. 

Didn't the uniform text-book bill regulate the cost of the book? It 
is not necessary to have connection between uniformity and cost. So far 
as our committee is concerned, we have no objection, and are decidedly 
in favor of anything that will reduce the cost of text-books to the people 
of this state. The only thing we ar& objecting to is simply to having uni- 
form books prescribed, as the books are usually selected by men way above 
the school who have nothing to do with the teaching of little children. I 
■ wish to say, in this connection, that there have been appearing lately in 
the papers of our section of the state, articles, the only inference from 
which we can draw is that the other text-book bill is being urged by text- 
book publishers for their own purpose. 

I can tell you how this free text-book bill came to be introduced. I, 
myself, prepared the bill because I was on the committee appointed by the 
association to consider this very question. Something had to be done and 
I prepared this short bill myself. No school men ever approached me in 
any way to influence me either in the purchase of books, or preparing or 
supporting the bill, or in opposition to any bill, and I submitted this bill 
to the committee and it was adopted 'unanimously and it comes to you in 
that way. I wish to say further that it makes no difference who sup- 
ports a bill or who opposes a bill. The only question is this : — 'Is the bill 
the one that meets the public needs?', and if the members of the legisla- 
ture decide that any of these bills will be a benefit. to the schools of the 
state, they should vote for it. If not, they should vote against it. A man 
ought to be broad-minded enough for that. 

In the city of Muskegon we have had free text books for twenty or 
twenty-five years and I have never heard a murmur from the people. We 
vote our money and buy our books. The child uses them and everybody 
is satisfied. There is one question, of course, and that is the question of 
cost and I am going to give you the results in Muskegon. 

When we first took up this matter I had the clerk of the board find out 
what we had been paying for ten successive years and the number of chil- 
dren actually belonging to the schools and using the books, and from the 
deductions taken for the last ten years ending June 30, 1911, I found that 
the average was 47 cents per pupil per year. That is what it costs Mus- 
kegon for its text-books. This includes the first eight grades. 

Now, the amount spent per year ranged from $980 in 1906 to $1645 in 
1909. The last year, ending June 30, 1912, for text-books; $1056. By 
increasing 150 pupils a year or a total of 2800 pupils, at this time we find 
the average cost to be about 38 cents. Now, I have also taken into con- 
sideration what the books would have cost the pupil if he had bought 
them himself per year and I have found that it amounted to $1.09 in the 
second grade to $5.43 in the seventh grade and the average cost for the 
eight grades per pupil would be $2.78J4* and we paid $1065 last year. If 
the pupils had purchased the books, they would have paid $7791 — a sav- 

*If I understand English, this means $2.78% per grade or a total of $22.26 
for the eight primary grades. Under "local adoption", where the children buy the 
books and pay the local dealer's profits, the total for the eight primary grades, 
figuring that a child buys a new book each time he advances in his studies to the 
point where additional books are required, the total will not average $11.00. I 
figured the books in use as sold in a book store at Jackson, Mich., and the total 
referred to was under $10.00. Furthermore, any child that is required to buy 
$1.09 worth of books in the second grade by any superintendent In the United 
States, the said superintendent is merely an agent of the book companies. 

The speaker, as a school board member, is described on page 85. 



MR. E. E. CARPENTER OF MUSKEGON 27 

ing of $6,700 to the pupils of the state. I want to be fair in the matter 
and these are our figures. 

O. When the pupil moves away, he cannot take his books with him? 

A. No. 

Q. When they move from your city to another place they would have 
to buy different books? 

A. Not if they moved to a city that had free text-books. 

MR. GUFFIN : — Q. Would you have free text-books under a uni- 
form system in this state ? 

A. No, sir. And now I will dip into that for a moment. We have 
in our city a mixed population. In the Froebel school they are largely 

Scandinavian ; in the school they are mixed and in the Bunker 

school they are Scandinavian. The Superintendent finds that they can 
use certain text-books in the Angell school with better results than in some 
other school. They get different results with different nationalities. They 
get better results in that way. 

O. These children are all taught the English language? 

A. Certainly. But they are largely Scandinavian, English and there 
are always Americans and the teacher finds that he has better success in 
using the books that appeal to those particular children. 

Q. Do you have different series of readers in each of these schools? 

A. I cannot tell you that. I have not gone down myself into the text- 
books that are used by the child. I know we are getting as good results 
as any of the schools in the country. We are sending children out fi'om 
Muskegon schools into the trades, commerce and into the colleges and 
they are all doing good work. Time goes so quickly, but there is another 
question that we find of importance and it is a question aside from cost. 
It is this : — When the schools open in the fall and the pupil comes to 
school, the text-books are there ready to be assigned to the pupils and 
they are able to go on next day with their lessons, while if the matter is 
left to the pupil, we find it makes a difference and the pupils take more or 
less time to get their books. Sometimes it is two or three days and often, 
in the country districts, the)- are kept waiting a week or ten days to get 
their books, while under our system, the books are assigned them the first 
day of school and they are then ready to go on with their work. 

O. Under the uniform text-book system would there be a delay in 
getting the books ? 

A. The dealers do not neglect it but it is the pupils and parents who 
delay in getting them. Under the present system they know just what 
book they are going to use and it is possible to have the books a week be- 
fore — not a week after — the school opens. 

Q. Do you always have enough books on hand for every pupil ? 

A. Yes. We figure that every child in the district is obliged to have 
books, and we would rather have a few over than not enough. 

Q. You always have enough books to take care of every child? 

A. It is our duty to see that everything is provided that is necessary 
for the child to do the work. 

Now, in regard to this question of cost : — During the year ending the 
last of June, 1912, we paid teachers' salaries to an amount of $92,524; 
$1056 for text-books; current expenses $48,199; books $1,000; janitors, 
$7,694 for taking care of buildings and $1,000 for the books the children 
have to have. 

MR. AMBERSON :— O. You have a school known as the "Hackley" 
school ? 

A. Yes, sir. 

O. You did not touch this school? 



28 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

A. No, sir. We have the manual Training School, but that was not 
taken into consideration at all. I have taken the enrolled of the eight 
grades. I have figured on the number of enrolled at 40 cents per book 
and the number belonging, at 47 cents. 

O. How does the attendance compare with the enrollment? 

A. It is not far from the average now belonging. 

MR. DUNN : — Q. You have had free text books for several years 
in your schools. You have in the eight grades a large proportion of those 
that don't want to go to high school ; perhaps 80 per cent in those grades. 
Why haven't you adopted free text-books for the high schools? 

A. You will find, I think, that good things go slow sometimes. 

MR. DUNN: — O. There are many parochial schools in Muskegon? 

A. Yes, sir. And they are not dissatisfied with free text-books in 
an_v of the public schools. I will say, with regard to the question of 
parochial schools and public schools, that they will object to public schools 
in regard to taxation, but the parochial schools of Muskegon have asked 
us to give them special instruction in high school physics and we are on 
very good terms. 

MR. AMBERSON :— O. I would like to ask you just what your ob- 
jections are to the uniformity text-book system? 

A. My objections to uniformity are that it puts our schools, for in- 
stance, solely under the supervision of a board that I do not think is com- 
petent to say what our schools shall use in the way of text-books. It re- 
quires that every one of the teachers must use the books that somebody 
else has said you must use, mostly for the sake of reducing expenses. 

MR. DUj\'N : — Q. The book has to be listed for five years ? 

A. And I object to that. This bill I prepared eliminates that. It is 
simply a bill putting it on this same basis that the district must have free 
text-books which they can choose as they do the teachers in the school 
buildings. 

MR. STRAIGHT:— O. Will you please explain the difference be- 
tween the different text-books and the globe that is used in school for 
school purposes? 

A. There is no difiference. "It would be all right for the child to own 
a globe. 

O. Do you buy the books for your children? 

A. I only did once or twice because I thought they would like them, 
but I found when they got through with them they were only thrown 
away. I can see no reason why a child should not own a globe and have 
it at home if he can aiYord it. It will help him educationally. 

Now, the strongest argument I ever heard against free text-books is 
the sanitary reason. It is the strangest thing that for the past twenty or 
twenty-five years we have used text-books we have never been able to 
trace a case of disease to the use of text-books. It is true there is a pos- 
sibilit}^ — there are possibilities all through life. I may go home from here 
with some germ that I didn't have when I came here but it is no more 
true than that the child mingles with other children ;in the school room, 
and I believe that the commonest cause of disease is found in the atmos- 
phere they breathe. They mingle together and breathe whatever comes 
from them and the}^ sit side by side and come in contact in every possible 
way and if there is anything they can get in the way of disease they will 
get it regardless of text-books. 

O. You have inidividual drinking cups? ^ 

A. We are putting in drinking fountains as fast as we can install 
them. The da}- has past for the tin dipper and the cups and pails. I don't 
think we have any of them. We take all precautions to safe-guard the 



MR. S. 0. HARTWELL OF KALAMAZOO 29 

use of books. If a book has been in a house where there has been a con- 
tagious disease we either burn the book or fumigate it and I think they 
are as reasonably safe as anything in this world. We cannot get things 
absolutel}' perfect — not even uniform text-books. 

Q. Do you get a reduction in buying your text-books. 

A. Why, certainly we do. We get a large reduction. I don't know 
what it is. I leave that to the Committee of Ways and Means and to the 
superintendent. He gets out his list and they figure it over. I find in the 
last year we bought of 29 different houses and we only bought one or 
two books from the American Book Company. 

Q. Did you bu)' books from Ginn & Compan}^? 

A. I don't know. I know there were 29 .different ones. 

MR. STRAIGHT :— p. Just what has been your duty on the board? 

A. I have not given all my time to the details of those things. As a 
member of the board, of course, I have passed on all things brought be- 
fore it. As secretary I had charge of the census ; the entire charge -of the 
finances and the book-keeping, with a book-keeper to do the work ; had 
charge of the records ; was secretary of the teachers, . . . and kept a rec- 
ord of that. Now I am only ex-ofificially a member of the Committee on 
Ways and Means. 

MR. STRAIGHT :— O. But a great deal of the work is left to the 
superintendent ? 

A. Surely. That is what he is there for. He is an expert on that 
matter. 

Q. What is his name? 

A. Frost. 

MR. S. O. HARTWELL 

MR. HARTWELL, Superintendent of Schools, Kalamazoo: — 
"Mr. Chairman and gentlemen of the committee : — 

I feel quite sure that everybody concerned, at heart, wishes the best 
in the interest of the schools of the State of Michigan as representing the 
educational work of the state in training of the youth of the state. As 
has already been indicated, the matter of text-books, as far as the matter 
of expense goes is one of the minor items of expense rather than the 
major item of expense undertaken in the training of the youth. How- 
ever, this much is particularly clear ; that any arrangement that can be 
made that reduces any of the items of expense and does not reduce effi- 
ciency is, of course, a valuable arrangement. But these two things need 
to go together. 

If there is any wa}' by which an arrangement can be made to get more 
value out of the dollar spent, that arrangement ought to be looked after 
very carefully. This question of text-books is a question of minor im- 
portance-and I believe there are other things before the committee of vital 
importance to the people of the State of Michigan in the matter of im- 
proving the work in the schools. But this is the question up. 

Now one of the items of the argument for uniformity is the matter of 
the price of the books but I will take a few moments for another phase of 
the question and will speak of the matter of uniformity as a principle or 
a method. 

Now, we all of us have our opinions and no man can, by himself, 
prove that his opinion is right or the other man's opinion is wrong, but 
they have to make the best argument they can and then leave the issue to 
the best judgment of the people concerned. My belief is, and I think I am 
voicing the belief of the men active in school work, — the men who have 
studied the whole thing including education, and the thing we want is to 



30 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

depart from uniformity as it is commonly understood. I will admit right 
off that there is the greatest difference in the shade of meaning given to 
that term. Now if uniformity could be made possible, we may have a 
different thing in mind, but a large portion may think alike, and what I 
say I think is right, to this, Mr. Carpenter just touched on it. 

We all want to do the best to prepare pupils. for citizenship, and cit- 
izenship assumes or involves at least two things. It involves first, as a 
necessary precedent to other things the ability mentally and manually for 
self-support; and, second, the ability and the intention and the desire to 
grow in intellectual and spiritual strength. No public education can ac- 
complish all of this within the years of adolescence, but any public educa- 
tion that does not start both of them is incomplete. The child don't start 
uniform. Even if we should attempt it they would not finish in a uniform 
manner.* And the best judgment of the educators is that they don't want 
uniformit)^ One ©f the strongest criticisms of the schools of the past has 
been this sort of system, trying to turn out pupils in a common grist. 
The public education in the grades is trying to get away from that, and 
furnishing a chance for differentiation. A chance for differentiation in 
lines of work to be produced in the grades, and anything that would in- 
terfere with this trend would be a step backwards. With the matter of 
differentiation in kinds of work they should do there should also be the 
possibility for differentiation in methods to a certain extent, and that 
changing from the pupil to the teacher, and the possibility of giving the 
teacher through his own initiative more of a chance of training in the 
work through his own power, than is possible with prescribed uniformity 
where he uses one book on a given subject. Take, for instance, the in- 
struction of reading in the early grades. We have the one-method book 
so-called which every pupil takes first. Then there are different readers 
which they will take in the first two grades. . I cannot tell you the exact 
number, as it varies, but I think I can say we have six to one dozen read- 
ers. When we demand uniform readers and uniform ** supplemental books 
it will cramp them, and the same way with many other subjects, particu- 
larly in history and somewhat in grammar, the holding to one book is a 
detriment rather than a help. Now besides this vital fact, as it seems to 
me, this chance for differentiation allows for the best energies of 
both the teacher and the pupil, that is the chance of giving 
opinions of their own*** rather, than what they learn in text-books 
I presume that every person here could name in any given subject 

*No one has said or claimed that all children are uniform. Every class of 
from 30 to 50 pupils in the state has uniform books yet no teacher or superin- 
tendent has the audacity to say that these pupils are uniform. 

The teacher does not have time to give individual instruction nor does the 
state have money to provide each scholar with an individual tutor — consequently 
they have to be classified and graded. If it were possible for the state to make 
all children uniformly perfect, it would be the state's duty to do so. 

**I quote from the revision of 1911, State of Michigan general school laws, 
page 68, (Act 147, 1889), (149), 4775, Sec. 1:— "An act to regulate the uniform- 
ity of, and to provide for, free school text-books in public schools throughout 
the state, and the distribution of the same," etc. 

" . . . . text-books once adopted under the provisions of this act shall not be 

changed within five years all text-books used in any school district shall 

be uniform in any one subject." 

Having operated under a law of this kind for twenty-four years and the bill 
in question not requiring uniform supplemental books, how can anyone talk 
about being cramped when a state uniform bill is proposed? 

***The teachers and children have just as much right to give "opinions of 
their own" from one book as from another though one may be a local adoption 
book and the other a state uniformly adopted book. (See Thelwall note, bot- 
tom of page 9.) 



MR. S. O. HARTWELL OF KALAMAZOO 31 

three or four text-books with which they have been perfectly satisfied in 
use in their schools and the choice between them depends very largely 
on local conditions."^ Now I submit these points can be better 
handled in a local unit than they can by a large unit, as I 
fail to see how a large unit could take cognizance of this. 

MR. YOUNG : — Now with regard to supplemental text-books, to what 
extent would you go with regard to them ? 

A. To any extent the school board wishes to adopt, always provided 
there is a referendum from the teachers. I think that would be satisfact- 
ory, even to Mr. Guffin. 

Well now, just another thought. You would judge from this In- 
diana report that the uniform system is not entirely satisfactory, but when 
you come to read the comments you find it is a most complicated thing, 
and if any one can get out of that a recommendation for any given book 
I think they will be doing well. 

Q. Do you think that the state as a whole is satisfied with the educa- 
tional system of the State of Michigan ? 

A. I think so, yes, sir. I think I can speak with authority with re- 
gard to the State of Michigan and the sentiment that exists, because I 
know it best, but I don't pretend to travel around the country, but the sen- 
timent in Michigan is against uniformity. 

The Indiana report shows that it was satisfactory in 1910. The su- 
perintendent of public instruction of Indiana may be right, but as I. said 
in the beginning we have our opinions and we cannot prove our opinions 
except as we get the material together. 

MR. McLACHLAN : — You use the same text-books for the pupils 
in the same school? 

A. Yes, we do, but Mr. Carpenter is absolutely right on that score. 
You may have read that the New York schools within a few days pub- 
lished a part of their report and what we find is this ; that the city of New 
York** has but one course which they claim is hampering the work which 
ought to have at least three courses, but they make no difference for the 
different kinds of population. 

Q. Are the conditions in New York analogous to those in Michigan ? 

A. Analogous to the condition in Detroit, and uniformity would 
hamper the city of Detroit at once. Mr. Carpenter has told you something 
about the situation in Muskegon. 

MR. AMBERSON : — A family moving from one city to another, 
would the child be able to carry on the same grade of work with a differ- 
ent set of books? 

A. That is a very difficult question to answer. You cannot make a 
short answer give you the facts. Sometimes it is true and sometimes it is 
not, and that would be so even with uniformity, because you have school 
in the country districts five months and in the city you have school ten 
months. That is the difference. The practical facts are about these : You 
will take a pupil and grade him in the same grade he came from, and if 
the pupil cannot do the work he goes back,*** but the variations are such 
that it is impossible to make a complete statement. 

*See "local conditions," p. 47, Workmen, p. 100, first par., 102 Math. Prob. 

**This statement is misleading. They do not have uniform books in the 
City of New York. Each school buys such books as it chooses from an open 
list, yet the speaker uses their criticism on their siystem as an argument against 
state uniformity of "basal books. < 

***Note that the child is placed in a lower grade and the main reason is 
his unfamiliarity with the terms in the new text. This would be true under a 
FREE BOOK (?) LOCAL ADOPTION system. 



Z2 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

MR. GUFFIN: — Do you know of any books that are made for five 
or eight months, or nine months' school ? 

A. Perhaps I do not understand what you mean. 

MR. GUFFIN: — Well, you make the statement that some schools are 
held for five months and some for eight months. Would that difference 
require different books ? 

A. I have made no investigation as to that, but at the meeting of 
superintendents of schools I happened to get into conversation with a 
superintendent,' I think he had been a member of an Indiana board, at that 
time and some question came up about a book which, by the way, Indiana 
had not adopted, and I asked him if he thought that a good book and he 
said, "I think that a very good book and I would like to try it very much 
in my schools, but I do not feel that I could recommend it to the country 
schools of Indiana." 

MR. GUFFIN :— This bill permits you to try it. 

MR. ; — Are there any schools holding school five months in the 

year ? 

A. I presume there are, but I cannot give you the figures. 

MR. STRAIGHT : — Do you know who was responsible for this in- 
vestigation made in Indiana? 

A. No, sir. 

Q. Of the questionaries sent out how many reports were received? 

(Break in shorthand report.) 

A. Yes, sir, that is true. 

MR. STRAIGHT : — I would like to ask another question. You speak 
about the minor expenses. You realize that in Mr. Greathouse's report 
to the legislature in making estimates for Michigan and Indiana he stated 
that the price the Michigan people paid for text-books was $3,500,000 
more than Indiana had paid since the uniform text-book bill had been 
operating, twenty years ; $3,500,000 more for text-books than the people 
of Indiana with practically the same population. If there is any arrange- 
ment by which it can be given further efficiency that is the arrangement 
we want to make. 

A. The efficiency must be considered, but of its efficiency it takes a 
long time to tell. 

MR. STRAIGHT: — If a larger percentage was used in Indiana than 
in Michigan the matter of efficiency doesn't seem to cut any figure, but 
if vou can save over $3,000,000 in twenty vears — 

(Break in shorthand notes.) 

But my point was this, Mr. Straight. Taking the aggregate of the one 
book [Geography] course adopted in Indiana, that has proven very un- 
satisfactorv, as in this answer: Yes, 29; no, 148; dobtful, 10. About 
150 to 30. 

I do not know whether or not this is a fair exponent of the conditions 
and the satisfaction or dissatisfaction of state uniformity in Indiana. 
We sent these questionaires to the city and country superintendents and 
their opinions may be their individual opinions as to the condition in their 
county, but we had to depend for our information on somebody, and it 
seems to me that that is a pretty fair statement because these things are 
given without comment, and 174 of these towns were using an additional 
text on geography. 

O. Do you know that since this report came out state uniformitv of 
high school books has passed in the Senate ? 

A. Yes, I know. Somebody was in my office from Indiana about 
three weeks ago. It seems that this subject is one of the hardest to get 
light on and the easiest to get heat on that I have ever known. I asked. 



MR. E. W. YOST OF WAYNE COUNTY 33 

him if he beheved in uniform text-books and he said, "I beHeve it is all 
right for the grades, but I do not think it would be of any value in the high 
school." 

O. There isn't any feeling between the city superintendents and the 
teachers in the district schools? 

A. The feeling is simply this, that the uniform method for the whole 
state would hamper the work of the cities. Now then, some of the county 
superintendents say it would hamper the work of the county. I cannot 
prove anything. 

MR. DUNN: — Did the [Indiana] committee intend in that report to' 
recommend uniform text-books? 

A. Yes, under certain conditions. 

MR. E. W. YOST - 
E. W. YOST, County Commissioner of Schools of Wayne County:— 
I hardly have time enough to pay me to get up in front, but a's the com- 
missioner of schools of Wayne county, I am much interested in this mat- 
ter of text-book legislation. Since the tenth of February, I have been 
among the farmers at the farmers' institutes that are being held in Wayne 
county, and these institutes had a speaker on educational subjects. All 
they have discussed is the matter of TOWNSHIP UNIT.^It occurred to me 
yesterday that I had not heard one man mention the subject of text-books. 
I thought today I would speak to Mr. Moore, a man who is speaking on 
the agricultural part of the program, and since I have been out of the 
meetings some of the time, I said to him, ''Have 3'ou heard anybody say 
am'thing about text-books?" He answered, "Text-books haven't been 
mentioned to me since I have been in Wayne county." Now with this 
statement in mind, where does this sentiment come from? Why this bill?* 
The school people of the State of Michigan are against a uniform text- 
book law. The people of Wayne county and Detroit talk a good deal about 
home rule.** Why should the legislature take away from the people of 
Wayne county home rule and say we shall use some particular kind of 
text-book, whether we like it or we don't ? In our eighth grade examina- 
tions we don't expect the eighth grade pupils to quote parts of any text- 
book. We want them to be informed upon the matter of history of the 
country, upon English and how to cipher and do problems in arithmetic 
and we don't care from what books the information comes. I ob- 
served in a district school last week one of the best teachers in the county 
teaching history. He had outlined the history on the blackboard and con- 
ducted this class in history, and when he got through he continued the 
outline, and he told the pupils if they had any histories to bring them to 
school, and if they had any very old history he would like to have that 
brought also and see what it had to say on the subject. 

I had read but one of these bills and did not know until I came here 
that there was any other than the Straight bill. *** - 1 notice by this bill, that 
if any teacher or any school officer should buy or cause to be bought by 

*He has evidently not read "Moderator-Topics" or seen a report of the 
Straight-Pattengill debate. But he seems to have in mind the Township Unit 
plan as advocated by "Moderator-Topics" and one of the managers of the Ameri- 
can Booli Company. See bottom of page 19 and middle of page 20. 

**The Attorney General has held that the education of children is not a 
"home rule" proposition. 

***Note that the speaker's name appears on page 2 as a member of the in- 
vestigating committee which reported against the Dunn and the Young-Straight 
bills and in favor of the King bill. He says, however, that he has "read but one 
of these bills" and did not know "there was any other than the Straight bill." 

Don't you, gentle reader, marvel at this? 



34 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

any pupil in this state any book other than the ones on the list it would be 
considered a misdemeanor and subject to a fine. Now, gentlemen of the 
committee, it does seem to me that this is taking away the rights of the 
pupils in the rural schools. 
• A. They have a right to choose their books, all but the basic book. 

MR. YOST : — To the exclusion of any other book or basal book 
adopted, which amounts to the same thing? 

A. Only to the exclusion of that book. 

MR. YOST : — One thing more. The thing that bothers me the most, 
and the thing I think the most of in the interests of the rural schools of 
the State of Michigan is the fact that you will not pass a uniform text- 
book law, but pass a law exempting such cities as Detroit, Saginaw and 
Muskegon and dump this noxious legislation on the rural schools.* 

MR. DUNN : — What makes you think, Mr. Yost, that the city of De- 
troit cannot stand such a bill as this ? 

MR. YOST: — I believe in home rule in cities, and I don't think any 
commission such as this bill would provide for, can choose books that 
would be suitable for the State of Michigan. 

MR. WHELAN : — Would you think that if a provision would allow 
free text-books, there would be any objection to this?** 

A. Yes, sir. I believe in home rule. The people*** ought to say what 
they want. 

DR. McLACHLAN : — I don't like that remark of dumping noxious 
legislation on the rural districts of the State of Michigan. Perhaps it 
might be well to say that we are trying to give the rural districts some- 
thing a little better than what the cities have. Wouldn't it be at least 
courteous to say that ? 

MR. YOST : — I djd not intend to be discourteous. 

MR. DUNN : — Do you publish a list of recommended text-books in 
your district? 

MR. YOST:— No. 

MR. DUNN: — Then you have no plan of uniformity in your county? 

MR. YOST : — One of the teachers asked me this fall what text-book 
I would recommend in the teaching of agriculture. I advised him to take 
the one he was most familiar with and could get the most out of. 

MR. DUNN : — How many schools are under your supervision ? 

MR. YOST: — Three hundred and sixty-five school's and ISO districts. 

MR. DUNN : — How many are using the same books? 

MR. YOST : — I have never made an estimate of that. Usually the 
rural schools contiguous to some large place use the books that are used 
in that place. Take, for instance, some of the districts around Plymouth. 
They use the books used in Plymouth, and those near Detroit use the De- 
troit books, as a good many of the teachers come from Detroit. 

MR. DUNN: Do those further back use a different series? 

MR. YOST: — Yes. We don't teach books we teach subjects. 

MR. DUNN : — You have to get the subjects from the books. Do 5'ou 
have any supervision over the city of Detroit ? 

MR. YOST :— Not technically. ' 

*Why does a man in charge of rural schools ask for an exemption of the 
cities and then request the legislature to "dump this noxious legislation on the 
rural schools"? (His own schools.) 

**Note that this speaker, as well as the two preceding him, oppose free 
basal texts if they are to be uniform with an opportunity to supplement same 
with an unlimited list of approved books that the commission might decide 
proper for the schools. 

***"The people" do not now have anything to say about what books shall be 
used. See last part of third paragraph in Preface. 



E. E. FURGESON OF BAY CITY 35 

MR. DUA^N : — Are they demanding home rule in the cities outside of 
the city of Detroit ? 

MR. YOST: — I am not speaking with regard to that question gen- 
erally. Of course this measure is not satisfactory to the city of Detroit. 
They are against it and I told you why. I spoke of home rule in the city 
of Detroit because home rule bills come before this body. 

-MR. DUNN: — Does that sentiment exist out in the townships around 
Detroit and Plymouth ? 

MR. YOST: — Well, I just made the statement that there isn't any 
sentiment regarding text-books at all.* There is no one demanding the 
legislature to pass this bill. 

MR. YOUNG : — You evidently have not traveled very much over the 
state ? 

MR. YOST : — I have traveled over every section of Wayne county and 
I asked Mr. Moore yesterday if he had heard anything about text-books 
and he said no, that there was a demand for the township unit system. 

MR. STRAIGHT : — How man}' eighth grade graduates did you have 
last year? 

, MR. YOST : — I cannot tell exactlv, but somewhere in the neighbor- 
hood of 200. 

MR. STRAIGHT :— How many passed ? 

MR. YOST: — In the neighborhood of 75 or 80 per cent. 

MR. STRAIGHT :— Why didn't the rest of them pass ? 

MR. YOST: — They might have been sick. 

MR. STRAIGHT: — You said you believed in home rule on text- 
books for Detroit? 

MR. YOST:— Yes. 

MR. STRAIGHT :— Does Detroit ask home rule of the State Bank 
Commission ? 

MR. YOST :— No. 

MR. STRAIGHT : — Of the Insurance Commission, the Railroad 
Commission, State Board of Health? 

MR. WHELAN :— One at a time, Straight. 

MR. YOST:— A. No. 

MR. STRAIGHT : — Did you ever hear of any scandal connected with 
those commissions? 

MR. YOST :— No. 

MR. AMBERSON: — In moving from one district to another doesn't 
that have a tendency to retard the child's educational progress? 

MR. YOST: — It makes no difference.** We teach subjects, not books. 

MR. E. E. FERGUSON 
MR. FERGUSON, Bay City:— I have been asked to speak on the 
financial side of this question. I believe most men are honest ; that has 
been my experience ; even school men. Mr. Carpenter made the state- 
ment regarding the obtaining of text-books immediately upon the opening 
of the school in the fall. I happen to be in a city where they have free 
text-books, and on the morning of the opening of school the books are in 
the place of each child on his desk ; the lessons are assigned ; the work 
starts in the afternoon. Regular school work. I have been connected 
with schools where it was not possible to do that. If the child is required 
to go to the store and buy the books, it usually takes two or 
three or four days. We have a salary roll of about $200 a day and if we 

*He admits that "there isn't any sentiment regarding text-books at all", and 
yet he has been on an "investigating" (?) committee for two years. 

**He differs widely from the opinion expressed by Mr. Hartwell on page 31, 
and from Mr. Lyman's statement of facts on page 37. 



36 HEARING AND THOSE 'HEARD 

can plan the work so that we can go to work in the afternoon of the first 
day of school instead of in two or three days, we save three times $200 in 
value received. The books cost $3500 and I figure we can more than save 
that in the value given the child at the start. 

This book I hold up to you is a book that has been used in Indiana. It 
costs 45 cents to every child that uses that book. If they have 1000 chil- 
dren using that book it will cost a thousand times 45 cents to furnish the 
children with these books and they use them one-half a year ; they are one- 
half worn out and the last half of the books is worn out while they are 
using the first half. It would be just as sensible to buy your winter suit 
in the summer time and drag it around all summer. I am glad the gentle- 
man has shown us these two books, which is this book bound in two parts. 
It costs 40 cents. Under the free text-book system we get 20 per cent off 
for a five-year contract, hence the book would cost 32 cents. This book 
costs 45 cents in Indiana. I am comparing the free text-book cost with the 
uniform text -book cost. The cost in Indiana is 45 cents ; under free text- 
book system 36 cents, thereby making a saving of 20 per cent. A saving 
of 20 per cent in a manufacturing proposition would be worth something 
in this day of efficiency.'^ This geography which I hold here costs 75 cents 
in Indiana. In two volumes it costs us exactly 60 cents.** This buying of 
free text-books in cities is a big problem and worthy of your attention. 
You take these two books at 40 and 45 cents. Bound together in one, one- 
half will be worn out while the other is being used. With reference to 
this problem, I am sorr}' to say that the money part is not the biggest prop- 
osition. Here is a book that in Indiana they compel the pupils to use.*** 
It has been used in Indiana for ten years. There are 820 new words which 
would make an average of three words a day. It will take a very bright 
child to master that book and average three new words a day, and it cost 
ten cents and probably did not take ten days to make the ,ptory. On the 
other hand we are using a book which took the author ten years to make 
the story and if the work is 

(Break in shorthand notes.) 

In coming down here from I3ay City I tried to figure out what it would 
cost for the free-text book proposition, and I find if you are assessed one 
thousand dollars you pay 25 cents for taxes to cover text-books. Now a 
man pays 25 cents for free text-books in Bay City if we spend $5000. I 
asked the chairman of this committee to tell me honestly why he favored 
this bill, and he said because of the reduction in cost and avoiding falling 
behind in a pupil going from one district to another. 

MR. E. A. LYMAN 
MR. LYMAN, Ypsilanti : — I want to say just one word on the bill 
presented by Senator King. I want the gentlemen to understand that the 
committee appointed by the State Teachers' Association is as desirous of 

*He compares the retail price in Indiana with the wholesale price in Michi- 
gan and also compares a full-bound book, retail, with the wholesale price of 
one-half of the full-bound book. Under the provisions of the bill proposed, the 
commission would have the right to have any book adopted, bound in parts, at 
the part price to meet just such conditions. The wholesale price would be in the 
neighborhood of 22 cents under state uniformity as against 32 cents, present 
wholesale price in Michigan. 

**Again he compares two prices showing a difference in favor of his argu- 
ment of 15 cents, when the truth of the matter is that the book for which he 
pays 60 cents wholesale is really but one-half of the book which sold at retail 
for 75 cents. The other part of this book costs 60 cents more at wholesale. It is 
left to the reader to decide on the honesty of such a comparison. 

***The book referred to has not been used in Indiana for three years and 
when it was first adopted there, the state law specified that no book of that grade 
should be sold for more than 10 cents. 



MR. E. A. LYMAN AND MR. E. C. WARRINER 37 

favoring the people of the state ab anybody can be. I know that I differ 
with my friend Dr. McLachlan on this subject, but I have great respect 
for the doctor, ahhough we are of a different poHtical faith, but I want to 
say right here that if he runs again I shall vote for him, as I have acquired 
a lot of respect for him. I want to say that one objection I have to this 
bill is that you compel the child to buy these books, and in the year they 
are one-half worn out. Under the free text-book plan the books are taken 
care of, they are covered and at the end of the year new covers are put on 
them, and it seems to me as far as disease is concerned, we would have to 
have that whether we had free text-books or not. 

MR. AMBERSON:— I don't think it has been brought out very 
clearly about the children moving from one district to another. For ex- 
ample, one child moves from Lansing into another city, would that child 
go into the same grade he was in here ? 

MR. LYMAN : — That is pretty hard to answer. It has been the ex- 
perience of school men that they would take a corresponding grade in 
another school.- With regard to the loss, of course if the child buys books 
at a reasonable price he can sell them to another child. This committee 
I Investigating] will favor any bill that will make the price reasonable and 
at the same time provide good books to the children of Michigan and this 
King bill will answer very well. 

When a child moves into the district he is put into the grade 'which he 
left and tried out there, and if it is found that he can do the work he re- 
mains in that grade. If a child has been in seventh grade, we put him in 
seventh grade, and if he cannot do the work after a fair trial he is put in 
the sixth grade.* He is allowed to attend school several days without 
buying any books until we ascertain what he can do. 

MR. E. C. WARRINER 

MR. WARRINER, Saginaw: — I wish to thank you, gentlemen, for 
the attention you have given ta this hearing tonight. The patience you 
have shown would indicate that you are certainly in earnest about this 
question, and I think you will admit that the presence of all these superin- 
tendents here tonight would indicate that we are in earnest, too. I haven't 
any particular topic to present, but what I shall sav will be of a rambling 
nature which have been brought out by the things said here tonight. I 
shan't go into the matter of free text-books very much; I heartily believe 
in the free text-book system as the true solution of this problem. I don't 
believe in state-wide uniformity in this state. If it is desired to have uni- 
formity in the rural districts, it seems to me it could be taken care of in 
their own counties. The question of moving from one county to another, 
they generally go right along. I don't figure that a very large number 
move during the year from one district to another. The percentage is 
very small. I wish to say that it doesn't exceed five per cent, and to legis- 
late for the whole state on account of five per cent of its children who 
- move, I claim is unfair. 

Will you, gentlemen of this committee and members of the House and 
Senate who may be present, will you do us the kindness, the school in- 
terests of Michigan,** to read carefully the reports sent to you as put out 
by our committee, and will you remember that the school interests of the 
state are represented by this committee, and I am sure [among] the bal- 
ance of the school men of the State you will find ninety per cent of the m 

*Here is more evidence of retardation by reasons of removals, superinduc- 
ed by cliange of texts and terms used. See last note on p. 31 and note on p. 12. 

**If this committee represents "the school interests of Michigan," where are 
the people? It would appear to an outsider that the "interests" need looking 
after. 



38 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

opposed to a state-wide uniform law. Will you kindly take that into con- 
sideration ? 

We will accept, of course, the bill passed by the legislature if it is 
forced upon us. The information we have brought out here tonight indi- 
cates that Indiana is not in favor of this uniform text-book system. The 
state of Indiana doesn't know any other system. It was adopted in 1889 
and thev have had it twenty-four years now. Now, if you will excuse 
me, I will read from the report sent out by the Text-book Committee of 
Indiana, March 20, 1912. It says : "As members of this committee we 
wish to state that we affirm our faith in the uniform text-book law and 
in the integrity of the individual members of the State Board of Educa- 
tion." It doesn't say that at the close of the investigation the committee 
was in favor of it, and if it did the showing of the prices of the text-books 
used is sufficient answer as to the question of the people of Indiana being 
satisfied with it.* From investigation, our committee is prepared to say 
that the uniform system of text-books is not satisfactory to the school 
men of any state where it is in use ; not to large numbers. We find some 
satisfied, but it isn't satisfactory throughout the state. I have here a 
letter from C. N. Kendall of New Jerse}': — 
[Letter not furnished.] 

We ask you to go slow in this matter and to consider it well before you 
pass legislation that is unsatisfactory to a large number of school men in 
this state. I have here a typewritten statement relative to the compara- 
tive cost of text-books in Indiana and under the 5 year contract used in 
Michigan. I will leave copies of this list with each member of the com- 
mittee. 

INDIANA STATE ADOPTED TEXT-BOOKS. 

Publishers' price to 
Indiana'^* Eree Text-Book dis- 

Price to Publishers' tricts under 5 year 
Pupil. List Price. Contract. 

Howe's Primer or Eirst 

Reader $.15 • $.20 $.15 

Howe's Second Reader 20 .25 .19 

Howe's Third Reader 25 .35 .26 

Howe's Fourth Reader 30 .40 .30 

Howe's Fifth Reader 40 .50 .37>4 

Conn's Introductorv Phvsiol- 

_^ogy . ■ ■ 30 .36 27 

Conn's Elementary Physiology .50 .60 .45 

Gordy's U. S. History '. .7':, 1.00 ..75 

Erve's Leading Facts in Geo- 
graphy 90 • 1.10 .82 

Walsh's Primary Arithmetic. . .22 .30 22]/, 

Walsh's Grammar School 

Arithmetic 45 .65 .49- 

Lessons in English Book 1 

(Scott-S) 25 .42 .2,iy2 

Lessons in English Book 2 

(Scott-S) 40 .65 .49 

I have here the Kansas state adopted books. In these books I have put 
the Kansas price and these books will be left in the office of the superin- 
tendent of public instruction where they may be seen if you care to look at 

*Indiana seems to be "satisfied with it." See page 59. 

**Retail prices compared with wholesale prices which are an unfair and un- 
just comparison. 



MR. E. C. WARRINER OF SAGINAW 39 

them. I wish to make one point further. I have brought here two or 
three sets of the best books ; [Aldine and Riverside series] better 
in subject matter and binding than the books that are used in 
Indiana, Kansas or Texas. These books cost something, but they 
are worth it for the value of the material and the influence 
on the child. Assuming that the families inoving most frequently 
from one district to another are the poorer families, and I think every one 
will admit that, we favor legislation which will lessen the cost of 
text-books to these people and I think the free text-book system does it. 
I have a letter from the secretary of the Cleveland Federation of Labor 
dated Jan. 21, 1913. 

. CLEVELAND FEDERATION OF LABOR 

Cleveland, Ohio, January 21, 1913. 
Mr. E. C. Warriner, 

Saginaw, Mich. 
Dear Sir:— In reply to your favor on Free Text-Books, will say that 
organized labor in Cleveland has for years been trying to get Free School 
books and at this time are trying to induce the Board of Education to 
supply them. Organized Labor of this City not only believes in free text- 
books, but in free supplies, such as tablets, pencils, etc., which in our 
opinion costs more during the year than books. We are trying to have 
the Legislature pass a state law making School Books free. We have no 
particular publications or printed matter on the subject. 

Very truly yours, 

Peter Hassenpflue, Secretarv. 
STATE OF KANSAS 

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 

Topeka, Kansas, Jan. 23, 1913. 
Mr. E. C. Warriner, 
Supt. of Schools, 
Saginaw, Mich. 

Dear Sir: — The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, proposed to 
purchase a certain number of supplementary books for use as text-books 
in the city schools and an injunction was secured in the district court re- 
straining the Board from such purchase on the ground that our law pro- 
vides that text-books may be purchased by Boards of Education provided 
that an election has been made in the city or district authorizing such pur- 
chase. Since no election had been held in the city of Topeka, the court 
decided that the Board of Education had no authority to purchase books 
as was proposed. The case was not appealed to the supreme court, since 
it was thought to be the wisest plan by those interested to let the matter 
rest for the present. 

In the city of Lawrence, action was brought in the courts to prevent 
the Board of Education from requiring pupils to purchase supplementary 
books, that is books in addition to those adopted by the state text-book 
commission. In this case, the court decided that the Board of Education 
had authority to require the use of supplementary books provided that the 
adopted texts were used in good faith and to the fullest extent. 
Very truly, W. H. Ross, 

State Supt. Pub. Instruction. 

It is absolutely true that in Saginaw it does not cost more than $5000 
for the text-books which are used by the children of the city of Saginaw. 

DR. SMITH, Ann Arbor: — I want to call attention to the peculfer 
situation of the educators of Michigan opposing a measure as against a 
gentleman from Chicago ; it is the most analagous situation I about ever 
saw. The question has been asked me, where did this thing start? I have 



40 HEARING AND THOSE HEARD 

been in different parts of the state and I liave never heard state uniforni- 
itv mentioned, excepting b}' reference to this bill. I have asked people in 
Ionia, in Lansing or Saginaw if they had heard anything and they say 
they have never heard the matter discussed. 

MR. SLAUSON, Ann Arbor:— This matter of a text-book commis- 
sion composed of five people, three of whom are exceedingly busy men and 
have about as much to do as they are able to attend to : The governor of 
the state, the president of the agricultural college, the superintendent of 
public instruction. It is possible that the governor might appoint some 
other man, but >-ou will also notice it will cost ten dollars a day for the 
work, and this lias to be ready for operation in September, 1914. I have 
been in the school business for 2>S years, and I know that it is impossible to 
prepare a suitable course of study in such a short time. You must 
remember this uniformity throughout the state includes high 
schools. In Ann Arbor we have high schools of which we are 
not ashamed, and we would have to use the same text-books 
that are used out at Dexter or Chelsea or Calumet in tlie upper peninsula, 
but the conditions are entirely different. The question of nationalities 
comes in. Agriculture ought to be taught in many of the schools, but if 
the course is uniform all this would have to be set aside, and no uniform 
course will fit all localities of Michigan. 

MR. DUNN : — Doesn't the superintendent of public instruction fur- 
nish the -list for the first eight grades? 

A. He does not apply it to cities. 

We have a five-years' course in the high school, seventy-five credits for 
the academic, 15 credits for the manual and 10 either manual or academic 
according to the choice of the pupils. Now in manual training we have 
cabinet working, etc. You understand cities of 2000 pupils have to have- 
certain requirements. This woull not fit in with a uniform course and you 
cannot get away from it. 

MR. DUNN : — I want to ask Mr. Yost a question. You have been to 
a good many educational meetings this year. Did you at any of these 
meetings advocate the free text-book svstem? 

MR. YOST:— I did not. 

MR. DUNN:— Why didn't you? 

MR. YOST : — Well, other matters took up the entire program and the 
question wasn't before us. 

MR. GUFFIN : — IMr. Slauson says that the course of study has to be 
established by September 1, 1914. That is not true. The books have 
to be in bv that time, but the course of study can go in any time by the 
help and advice of the school men of the state. There is special provision 
made for that. 

MR. SLAUSON : — Isn't it in the bill that the course of study shall be 
provided by September 1, 1914? 

MR. GUFFIN : — No, sir. It doesn't say anything about when the 
course of stud}' shall go in. The school men discuss the books continu- 
ously and the commission has the authorit)' ; it is given this leaway and 
elasticity. As to the statement that the state officers were too busy, they 
are obliged to find time to discharge any duty this legislature ma)' impose 
upon them. Mr. Warriner made the statement that the books would not 
be any cheaper. Take LTnited States histories for instance. If the retail 
price to the pupils under state uniformity is 7h cents, as is the case m 
several states, discount to the boards furnishing free books is 10 per 
cent and the taxpayers in a free book district would be getting this book 
for 67^ cents. However, when the uniform book is first placed in the 
schools they would pay 37 cents, less 10 per cent, or Z^i.Z cents. But 



MR. J. T. GUFFIN OF CHICAGO 41 

under the free book local adoption plan, as in vogue in Minnesota and 
advocated by your Investigating Committee, the tax payers have to pay 
75 cents net for the book and 70 cents exchange. On several high-school 
books, for instance, according to prices established under terms of the 
Minnesota law, the wholesale price to the district is 94 cents, whereas 
under the uniform plan, the cost to the district would be but 75 cents — a 
saving of 20 per cent to the tax payers. 

Q. Have you authority to say what history shall be sold ? 
A. No, but the commission has. The net price shall not be greater 
than received elsewhere in the United States for any publication. 

O. Didn't you say the list of any books. (Break in shorthand notes.) 
A. This bill provides for a contract for state uniformity on basal books. 
Many of the books were not submitted at all [in Kansas and Indiana] 
on account of the limited retail price laws only. 

I am not talking for that [Dunn] bill. I know what the provisions are 
in that bill and I know what is in this [Young] bill. The price is as low 
as it [the book] is sold for elsewhere in the United States, i. e. net price to 
publisher. 

O. You admit you can get books at that price? 

A. I admit that on an open list you cannot get the price because you 
do not have the market. You haven't read the bill. 
O. I want to ask you why you come to Michigan? 
A. I am speaking for the Michigan Federation of Labor, I was intro- 
duced by Mr. Waterman, its representative, for that purpose. Mr. 
Warriner says there is no demand for uniformity. Why do you have the 
Legislature ? Why do the people elect members of the Legislature to come 
to Lansing if not to listen to things that will be of benefit to the state? 
Now how can the people make an intelligent demand if they are not in 
possession of the vital facts in the matter? And the school men themselves 
know very little about it, not even the investigating committee. 

Mr. Lyman said that provision could be made in the law for the selling 
of books in case of removal. This idea of a child selling books to the 
district is an absolute farce for the reason that when the family moves 
away they will not take time to hunt up the school authorities for the 
purpose of selling two or three dollars' worth of books, or a less amount. 
I wrote to the secretary of the Text-Book committee of Indiana [ap- 
pointed at the 1911 meeting of Town and City Superintendents' Associa- 
tion] for five copies of their report and received the following letter: I 
wrote prior to December 18th and received this letter addressed as is 
shown here : — 

Rushville, Ind., 12/18, '12. 
Dear Sir: — 

We cannot supply you with more than one copy of the report desired. 
We have but three copies and have some requests for copies every week. 
We are sorry that the supply is so nearly exhausted, but hope that the 
copy which goes by separate cover may serve you. 
, Mr. James T. Gufifin Yours truly, 

Chicago, 111. (signed) J. H. Scholl. 

59 E. Van Buren St. 
Room 608. 
The address on the envelope is as follows : — 

Chicago Allied Printing Trades' Council, 
Room 608, 59 E. A^an Buren St. Chicago. 

We could only get one copy, but they had plenty of copies [six weeks 
later] for the legislature of Michigan, as a copy was placed on each mem- 
ber's desk I am told. 



UNIFORMITY 

(?) 
District, Township Unit Plan 

Just suppose that you were living 

In a cozy, little flat, 
And each month you paid your landlord 

Thirty dollars rent for that; 
And you chanced to find out later 

That the man across the hall, 
For HIS flat paid only twenty 

Do you think you'd care at all? 

Or supposing that your butcher 

Sent you up two pounds of steak, 
And suggested half a dollar 

Would just make an even break; 
And suppose your next=door neighbor 

Bought two pounds of that same kind 
For just thirty copper pennies; 

Do you think that you would mind? 

There are many little wrinkles 

That the public never knows, 
As to how things are conducted. 

As, for instance, we'll suppose 
You know nothing about school books; 

You're entirely unaware 
Of this live and vital subject 

Which confronts us everywhere. 

There is made, for little children 

A geography by Frye; 
It's a very helpful text=book. 

But before you pass it by, 
Please note; Michigan edition, 

Sixty=five cents — binding gray; 
Tennessee; blue binding; forty — 

That's a bully business way. 



[42] 



Frye's Geography intended 

For your older girl or boy, 
Costs a dollar and a quarter 

In the state of Illinois. 
That same book in Alabama 

You can buy for eighty=eight 
Copper pennies — Do you like it? 

Do you think the deal is straight? 

That's the school book problem — Listen; 

When two books are just the same; 
When the plates from which they're printed 

Are alike save for the name 
That is stamped upon the cover, 

(Which is gray instead of blue). 
Do you think this alteration 

Worth near forty cents to you? 

If your boy is reading Latin 

And translating Cicero, 
And you live in Minnesota, 

You'll observe you have to go 
To a school which paid at WHOLESALE 

Ninety=four cents for this book, 
But come down with us to Kansas 

And we'll take a little look. 

Hunt up any Kansas book store 

Where they handle high=school books; 
Ask for Cicero's Orations; 

Note precisely how it looks. 
It's the very same edition, 

But the RETAIL price down here 
Is eleven pennies cheaper — 

Don't you think that somewhat queer? 

There is only one good reason 

That the text=book printers' "tools" 
Make these several basic prices 

For the 'free adoption' schools; 
Under systems so chaotic 

'District,' 'Township Unit' plan. 
They charge every single district 

The most money that they can. 

— Q. L. B. 



[43] 



INTERLOCUTORY 



":i= vs * ^j^ij ^Q breed up a son to common sense 
Is evermore the parents' least expense." 

— Dry den 

It is generally conceded in modern society that there is no one thing of 
greater importance than the thorough and adequate education of otir boys 
and girls who in a few years, will be the men and women of the country. 

Just at this time, while the leglislature is struggling over text-book 
legislation, some of our papers have suddenly developed a fear that the 
good people of the state are about to have a bogie slipped into a seat at 
this feast of reason. 

The name of this apparition is "uniformity" and this simple word has 
been one to be conjured with. The chief conjuror appears to have been 
one Henry R. Pattengill, a school book publisher, and through his mouth- 
piece, "Moderator-Topics," a school journal, he has used much ink and 
many pages of otherwise good, clean paper in pandering to the public 
with glittering generalities and crass absurdities which bear either not at 
all, or at most indirectly, on this most vital subject. 

While our humorists have long joked with the phrase that "figures 
will not lie," its inherent truth is recognized, and specious statements of 
a singular vagueness will never serve to combat plain facts put down in 
plain figures. 

The opposition to uniformity of text-books has tried to fire amunition, 
ad libitum, ad nauseam, at individuals instead of principles and it has 
loaded its guns with lamp-black, rather than solid shot. • The resultant 
explosion has been principally a case of back fire that has smeared the 
artillerists in a manner that water will not cleanse and only time can 
efface. This semi-gaseous style of ordnance has but resulted in a fog 
that only the sun ray of "common sense" can pierce. 

The cuttlefish, while quite innocuous in itself, resorts to a peculiar 
practice when hard pressed, having neither 'jaws to bite nor claws to 
scratch,' and ejaculates iiito the surrounding waters a merky fluid, thereby 
concealing its true position. Are the opponents of uniformity cuttle- 
fish? 

THIS is THE ISSUE:— 

The best interests of the public of any state demand the best educa- 
tion for each child. This is not the year 449 B. C. — Saxon and Angle 
have inbred and we move about the earth freely. We no longer seek a 
lair in some stone cave and there isolate ourselves. 

We, of the English tongue, demand that our children shall acquire, at 
public expense, an education suitable to fit them for the world's work. 
Spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography and the other primal 



INTERLOCUTORY (Concluded) 45 

requisites are necessities to the child from the Orkney Islands to the Isle 
of Wight and from Oregon to Maine. 

We have forty-eight states in these united governments. One child 
in Michigan may spend his life in a single town — Detroit, for instance. 
But under this absurd and chaotic system, dubbed "local adoption," he 
could plow through books galore and finally find that in County B, he was 
relegated to the 6th grade, having come from the 7th grade in County A, 
and all because he had forced upon him a different set of books. 

The main (and vital) trouble with Mr. Pattengill's arguments is that 
his premises are incorrect. If we set down a false syllogism we must nec- 
essarily arrive at a false conclusion. Let us take the most primary form 
of syllogism, A — -A — A, 

All dogs are cats — 
All cats mew — 
All dogs mew — 

Were our premise correct, we could not escape this conclusion, but 
the false premise knocks everything into a cocked hat. 

Analyze some of the "Moderator-Topics' " logic on Uniformity 
and see if you do not discover that "all dogs are cats." 

Mr. Pattengill appears to have been lashing his tail around through 
the dictionan,' and whenever a four-syllabled word stuck to his honey- 
smeared appendage, that went into print. (We might suggest that 
the Century Dictionary offers a wider field than an old Webster.) 



"In all government truly republican, men 
are nothing — principle is everything." 

Daniel Webster. 



The attempt on the part of self professed educators, or educational 
authorities, to confuse the issue by a fallacious comparison that seeks to 
.reconcile individualistic rights with those of a community, is futile. 

The history of civilization is conclusive refutation of such a claim, 
since all legislation clearly demonstrates that |he needs of the many 

DEMAND RECOGNITION IN PREFERENCE TO THE WANTS OF THE FEW, and 

this constitutes a fundamental principle of pure democracy and republi- 
can SIMPLICITY. Again I desire to call attention in no uncertain manner 
to the questionable motive behind the apparent word-juggling as evi- 
denced by use of the terms "standardization of mentality," "same mold," 
"free books," whenever text-book uniformity is referred to. 

It must be apparent, even to the casual observer, that there is a pur- 
pose in this substitution. Uniformity is a principle whose worth has 
been generally conceeded by every progressive and enterprising institu- 
tion. 



"DIXIE" 

Jacksonville, Florida. 

Claude L'Engle,* Editor and Publisher. 

EDITORIAL. 

Cheaper School Books. 

It was said by some statesman more or less celebrated but cer= 
tainly notorious, that there were five reasons against the establish= 
ment of the parcels post system, and these were the FIVE EXPRESS 
COMPANIES doing business in the country. 

There is but ONE REASON why State uniformity of text books 
has not long since been established in Florida, and this one reason is 
the AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY, KNOWN AS THE BOOK 
TRUST. 

Georgia school children buy certain books for 85c, certain others 
for 35c, and others for 22c. Florida school children pay $1.25, 60c 
and 35c for similar books. 

The only difference in these books is the binding, which is one 
color in Georgia and another color in Florida. 

Georgia has State text book uniformity. Florida has not. 

The American Book Company fought the establishment of State 
uniformity in Georgia and kept on fighting until it finally lost and 
then it surrendered and sold books between thirty and forty per 
cent cheaper the year the State uniformity law was passed than the 
year before — sold the same books — not different books and different 
paper with different ink and different kind of type, but the SAME 
BOOKS. 

In 1905 BrOward had a State text book uniformity recommenda= 
tion in his message. The book trust was in Tallahassee to fight it 
just as soon as Senator Crane introduced the bill and stayed on the 
job until it was beaten. 

BroM'ard came back again in 1907. So did the book trust. 

It had salesmen, professional lobbyists, vice=presidents and man= 
agers at Tallahassee making the argument against it in the same 
words, with the same gestures, the same appealing tones, the same 
dramatic dashing of text books down on the floor, as they had used 
in Georgia. 

They also had the same fake bill introduced, which provided for 
county uniformity, that is no uniformity at all, at least no uniform^ 
ity that carries the advantageous. 

In 1909 Senator Cone in the senate and Representative Carn in 
the house introduced the real text book uniformity bill. Dr. Bran= 
ham, agent of the book trust, showed up in Tallahassee and engaged 
the services of Peter O. Knight to lobby against State uniformity. 

Again the same old fake uniformity bill showed up in both 
branches of the legislature. This bill is known as the Kentucky bill. 
It was framed up by the American Book Company which succeeded 
in passing it in Kentucky when the fight was on for real uniformity. 

It is the hairy hand of Esau all right, but it is the cunning voice 
of Jacob, just the same. 

It is reported, now that this same old fight is on in the legisla= 

*The writer of this article was recently elected congressman-at-large and it 
is reproduced in its original form, the publisher not having taken any liber- 
ties in capitalization or punctuation. 
[46] 



BRIEF HISTORY OF FLORIDA LAW 47 

ture of 1911, with the same old conditions and the same old Ken= 
tucky bill, that SUPERINTENDENT HOLLOWAY FAVORS THE 
KENTUCKY BILL. 

Superintendent Holloway has been suspected of allowing his oiifice 
to be made the center of the opposition to State uniformity for two 
or three sessions past. Just before the last general primary, in 
which State officers were nominated, Superintendent Holloway told 
me that when he opened his campaign for reelection, he would de= 
dare unequivocally for State uniformity of text books — not the Ken= 
tucky bill, not county uniformity, not any other kind of uniform= 
ity, straight uniformity. State uniformity, which means the Cone 
bill, which is the same as the Crane bill, the same as the Georgia 
law. 

Superintendent Holloway was elected to his office with a straight 
declaration for State uniformity as part of his campaign thunder. 

It is said that educators, meaning those employed to teach, which 
is often a very different thing, favor county uniformity. Maybe so, 
but this is not a reason why State uniformity, which means cheaper 
books for the children of Florida, should not be adopted. 

I have witnessed the fights for State uniformity since 1907. I 
am yet to meet a man who can bring any argument against it, that 
will stand for one minute against the overpowering, overwhelming, 
crushing and invincible statement that the SAME BOOKS can be 
bought THIRTY TO FORTY PER CENT CHEAPER under State 
uniformity than under any other plan. 

State uniformity has passed the senate this time. Last time it 
passed both houses and did not become a law because the same bill 
did not pass each house. 

It will be considered in the house next Monday. Here's hoping 
that these few lines may help to get votes enough to pass it. 



WORKMEN AND TOOLS 



Text=books are the tools of the educator. A good book might be 
likened to a chisel of good steel. The well=tempered chisel is as use= 
ful to the carpenter in Maine as to his brother in Oregon, and the 
poor chisel hampers good work as much in one place as in another, 
however different "local conditions" may be. 

What the workman wants is a tool that will cut and continue to 
cut. The ability of men of different skill to use the tool will, of 
course, not be equal. But it is surely true that not only can the good 
workman do his best with good tools but so can the poor workman, 
while poor tools would but make his indifferent work still more in= 
different. 

The chisel that has the temper and qualities to work the pine of 
Michigan is equally well fitted to work the Cyprus of the South. But 
the worthless, ten=cent store chisel is fitted for neither. 

The teacher=workman, supplied with a truly good book=tooI can 
find himself at any point from coast to coast and will be equipped to 
best hue out the character and shape the education of the child= 
timber that comes under his hands. 

"Then take him to develop if you can, 
And hue the block off, and get out the man." 

— Pope 



This space 

to be utilized 

after the outcome 

of the pending legislation 

in Michigan has been determined. 



BRIEF HISTORY OF MICHIGAN LAW 49 



This space 

to be utilized 

after the outcome 

of the pending legislation 

in Michigan has been determined. 



STRAIGHT-PATTENGILL DEBATE 

Facts — Published and Suppressed 

Editorial in "Moderator-Topics," April 13, 1911: — 

Representative Straight comes along at the eleventh hour with his bill 
for state uniformity of text-books containing the especially dangerous 
feature of fixing the maximum prices. Being chairman of the educational 
committee he pushes the bill right over to the printers just exactly the re- 
quired 10 days before adjournment. The bill would change the texts now 
used in many schools. The 600 school districts now using free text-books 
including our largest cities would have to change. Can anyone give a 
good reason why a bill of such wide-reaching importance should be kept 
in hiding to be sprung at the last minute amidst the hurry of closing^ 
hours? This, too, with its author a member of the house committee. The 
good sense of the legislators will doubtless let the measure die. 

It might be well to call the reader's attention at this point to the 
fact that the well=trained and organized lobby in Michigan was 
caught napping and was without time to work, as indicated on page 
87, as was pointed out to me through the kindness of my Wisconsin 
newspaper friend. 

From "Moderator-Topics," April 13, 1911: — 

SOME RECENT FACTS ON UNIFORM TEXT-BOOKS 

OHIO 

. The Ohio senate has defeated the uniform school book bill after a bit- 
ter debate, in which the motives of the backers of the bill were strongly 
attacked.* Every educational association in the state, including even the 
College Presidents' Association, was on record against the measure. 

The senate had been expected to favor the bill as its author was chair- 
man of the educational committee. The house was considered hostile 
to it. 

« KENTUCKY 

The last Kentucky legislature abolished uniform books. Kentucky's 
"cheap" books** were a disgrace to the state, according to all educational 
authorities. 

INDIANIA 

In Indiana two years ago 57 county superintendents protested against 
the bad features of their uniformity law, said to be the best that could be 
devised. Later one-third of the county superintendents favored abolish- 
ing the entire law,*** despite the pressure of political influence to make 
them "stand pat." 

MICHIGAN 

Michigan now has as good text-books as can be found in the world.**** 
State uniformity is a long step backward. Compulsory free text-books is 
the next step forward. 

Lansing, Mich., March 12. 

Why do the leaders of teachers' organizations pledge prospective 
legislators against Uniformity when the latter are seeking election? 

*See bottom of page 98. Possibly the shoe may have been on the other foot. 

**Ninety-five ijer cent of the books alluded to are publications of the Ameri- 
can Book Company and some compare favorably with Michigan text-books. 

***Latest! The county superintendents in one-half of the congressional dis- 
tricts of the state voted unanimously for uniform high-school books this year. 

****This is untrue in four-fifths of the districts of the state. 

[50] 



SCHOOL MEN FRAMING LEGISLATION 51 

Ex=Speaker Vining, of the Ohio Legislature, whose name appears 
elsewhere in this book, is my authority that this is done. 

If such is the case, what are we to conclude from the following, 
which is taken from page 13 of the "Unabridged Report of the 
Straight=Pattengin debate"? 

St. Johns, Mich., March 20, 1912. 

Dear Sir: — Please, Mr. Superintendent, we depend on yon to bring 
this letter to the attention of 3'our school board, for we are not sending 
one to them. Lansing, April 18th and 19th, gives you the place and date. 
Thursday afternoon will be devoted to school legislation, free text-books 
and school pensions. IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE MUST CHOOSE 
BETWEEN FREE TEXT-BOOKS AND A POSSIBILITY OF A 
DANGEROUS UNIFORM TEXT-BOOK LAW. Mr. School Board 
Member, we want especially your advice and assistance as to what is best 
to do in this matter. We must also take action looking to the election of a 
Legislature and a Governor favorable to the primary-school fund. Do not 
think the danger is passed on this subject. The next Legislature will revise 
the tax laws, and we want one which will keep "hands off" the primary 
fund. THE TIME TO TAKE CARE OF THE PRIMARY FUND 
IS NOT WHEN THEY MEET NEXT WINTER. BUT WHEN 
THEY ARE RUNNING FOR THE NOMINATION NEXT SUM- 
MER. Members of school boards must see to this, or it will not be done. 
Come out and help us plan for this fight. 

J. M. Frost, 
President Superintendents' Association 
Will H. Brunson, 
Chainnan School Board Section 

Why do the school men decry Politics in the school systems 
throughout the country, yet play the game themselves? 

At this point read article in "Moderator=Topics," issue of Febru= 
ary i, 1912, reproduced on page 20, in which is a reference to the 
friends of Uniformity as "vealy thinkers," etc. 

Editorial in "Moderator-Topics," April 18, 1912. 

Because we believe the Straight text-book bill a bad 'measure and det- 
rimental to the schools, because zve despise and condemn the sneaky, 
shifty, tricky manner in which Representative Straight of Coldzvater 
tried to push it through the legislature ivithout giving any oppor- 
tunity for its due consideration, the editor of Moderator-Topics 
did his best to defeat it. For that reason Mr. Strait has become 
insanely angry, and has made his boasts that he zvill break H. R. 
Pattengill and ruin his business and reputation. In accord with 
this beautiful, altruistic spirit he has demanded of the Department 
of Public Instruction that Mr. Pattengill be given no more institute 
zvork in Michigan. Honorable Strait also accuses all the school superin- 
tendents and board members, 50 or mOre in number, that opposed his 
graft-breeding bill as being bought up or bullied by certain book compan- 
ies. Doesn't the Coldzvater statesman believe that men may be honest and 
oppose his measure?'* Does he not knozv that school men and book men 
have as good reputations as coal dealers and legislators? Why is Strait so 
vitally interested in foisting his peculiar brand of text-book bill upon the 
State? Of course some text-book companies are greatly interested in hav- 
ing just such a bill passed, and doubtless put some of their money into 
pushing it. The only paid lobbyist in the igii session that zve happen to 
know, zvas one who told us that he aided Strait in' preparing and pushing 

*Yes, but are they honest with the children? 



52 STRAIGHT-PATTENGILL DEBATE 

his bill. Who pays Strait's expenses ivhile he goes about the state advo- 
cating his special brand of books? Representative S. is seeking election to 
a place in the senate on his text-book platform. We would like no better 
fun than to have a series of debates zuith him on the merits of the Straight 
text-book bill. 

THE COURIER, COLDWATER, MICHIGAN 

May 1, 1912 

ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE 



Rep. Straight is Ready to Meet H. R. Pattengill in a 
Discussion. 



The following letter written by Hon. Henry E. Straight to H. R. Pat- 
tengill, former State Superintendent of Public Instruction, will be read 
with interest. 

Mr. Straight accepts the challenge of Mr. Pattengill for a public de- 
bate on the subject of "Text-Book Legislation," to be held in this city. 

The letter follows : — 

Coldwater, Mich., May 1, 1912. 
Mr. Henry R. Pattengill, 
Lansing, Mich. 

My Dear Sir: — It has been with many regrets that I have repeatedly 
read in your paper, "Moderator-Topics," since the close of the regular 
session of the Legislature of 1911, attacks upon my character and upon 
the subject of reform text-book legislation, in which I am very much in- 
terested. 

Each new issue of the paper has surpassed all others in its slanderous 
attacks, by untrue statements. The issue of April 18th, has evidenced the 
desperate frame of mind you are in, and in its challenge, it has given me 
an opportunity to defend myself. 

By the circulation of your paper and the many calls you have to ad- 
dress large crowds throughout the state, you have felt yourself quite thor- 
oughly entrenched. Because I have no such opportunity, you have taken 
advantage of the situation and become more and more ungentlemanly and 
untruthful in each succeeding issue. 

During my short public life, I have, to the best of my ability, been 
working only in the interest of all the people. My most strenuous work 
for reform school book legislation is for the educational, moral and finan- 
cial welfare of the boys and girls of the state. 

In my opinion the nature of the arguments and statements made by my 
friends and the friends of the cause, even in my absence, at a recent meet- 
ing held in Lansing, of the State Association of City Superintendents of 
Schools and School Boards, and since the Superintendent of Public In- 
struction, Luther L. Wright, and his deputy, Mr. Keeler, have recently 
gone over the Straight- Young Text-Book bill and have declared their 
sympathy with nearly ever feature therein contained, your eyes have been 
opened to the fact that the demand for a state uniform text-book law is 
growing rapidly and that your entrenched and heretofore secure position 
is greatly endangered. Therefore you have become more abusive and in 
your desperation, have given me an opportunity, through the challenge, to 
make a defense, which I have long been looking for and will gladly accept. 

You state in your . editorial in the April 18th issue of Moderator- 
Topics, in part, as follows : "Representative Straight is seeking election to 
a place in the Senate on his text-book platform. We would like no better 



SUPPRESSED BY "MODERATOR-TOPICS" 53 

fun than to have a series of debates with him on the merits of the Straight 
Text-Book Bill." 

Immediately after the meeting of the Michigan Press Association, held 
in Detroit last January, in which you made an unwarranted attack upon 
me and my text-book bill, and I challenged you to a debate upon the sub- 
ject, I made arrangements for the use of the Coldwater Armory hall, in 
which to hold the debate. In response to the challenge you have just made 
I gladly accept and will pay for the use of said hall and provide for your 
entertainment while in the city. 

While I am aware of your exceeding ability before an audience, I do 
not fear you because I am armed with honesty and justice. I can prove 
conclusively that every charge you have made against me and my legisla- 
tive methods are as false as any untruth ever uttered. I can prove that 
your arguments against my state-wide uniform text-book bill, which 
passed the House with only seventeen votes against it, are unsound as 
"punk" and simply childish. 

I did, as you say, demand of Mr. Wright, State Superintendent of 
Public Instruction, that he should not pay you out of the state treasury for 
institute work since you used every opportunity possible to advocate free 
text-books in the rural schools and to oppose state uniformity. In other 
words, I did protest against the method by which you were paid by the 
state to work in the interest of the American Book Company and against 
the best interests of the schools of the state. 

We are pa3'ing from one-third to one-half more for school books in this 
state than we should and getting no better books and in many cases the 
same books as are in use in other states at a much less cost. I am ever- 
lastingly against the present method. 

You say in your editorial of the 18th that "I have made my boasts that 
I will break H. R. Pattengill and ruin his business and reputation." I have 
never made such a statement but if your business and reputation are so 
closely related to the interests of the book companies doing business in 
this state as to suffer, should their grip upon the political and educational 
systems be pried loose, I would advise you to apply, at once, for a bill for 
"separate maintenance," if not absolute divorce. 

I regret that this matter has developed into a personal fight for such is 
distasteful to me, and, I feel, to the public of the state, but since you have 
made a political issue of it, of course the public is interested and demands 
a thorough analysis. If I have to fight the American Book Company and 
yourself for the nomination and election to the Senate, it will not be the 
first instance in the history of other states where such methods have been 
used as you are using~tQ^ defeat the efforts of the people to secure reform 
text-book legislation. If I have to fight the well organized association of 
City Superintendents of Schools who are defending the present methods, 
the sooner I begin, the better. 

If all this is necessary in order that the parents of this state be saved 
from paying at least $150,000.00 annually more for books than they should, 
then determine upon an early date for our debate. 

Remember that I shall spare none of your friends. As a public ser- 
vant I shall not only tell the people that they are being wronged, but I shall 
point out to them some of the parties who are personally active with you 
against their interests. 

Since this is a public cjuestion and since you have been using your paper 
to scatter your views on this subject, will you be fair enough to give this 
letter space in your paper ? 

Yours very truly, 

H. E. Straight 



54 STRAIGHT-PATTEN GILL DEBATE 

THE COURIER 
Coldwater, Michigan, May 31, 1912 

LETTER WRITTEN BY REP. H. E. STRAIGHT 
TO H. R. EATTENGILL 

The following letter of Representative Straight, relative . to the 
Straight-Pattengill debate that is to take place at the armory June 11. will 
be read with interest: — 

Coldwater, Mich., Mav 31, 1912 
Mr. H. R. Pattengill, 

Lansing, Mich. 

Dear Sir: — Since we have agreed that Tuesday evening, June 11, 1912, 
shall be the date on which to hold our debate; that the Rev. George E. 
Barnes of this city shall act as chairman of. the meeting; that the debate 
shall be held in the Coldwater armory, I hereby submit the exact wording 
of the subject: — 

Resolved, That the enactment into law of the Straight- Young text- 
book bill would be for the best interests of Michigan schools ; that the ef- 
forts used to pass it were honorable ; that the efforts used to defeat it were 
dishonorable ; that its authors were working in the interests of the children 
of the state and a better school system ; that its opponents were working in 
the interests of the book trust and for confusion. 

Such a statement of the question will certainly afford you an oppor- 
tunity and plenty of latitude to attempt to "make good" on all the state- 
ments and charges you have made during the past year in your Moderator- 
Topics, and in 3-our letters to me of recent date. 

I regret that the readers of Moderator-Topics are not given, through 
its columns, an opportunity to know all that is passing between us in these 
latter da}'s. ^ 

This is purely an educational question and discussion. When the 
battle sm'oke has cleared .awa}^ the public will see more clearl)' the true 
situation and can act with greater intelligence and certainty in the future. 
That is why I am giving it all the publicity possible. 

As you have suggested, I will take the affirmative and use fortj'-five 
minutes in opening and fifteen minutes in closing ; you to follow my open- 
ing remarks by one hour's speech. 

Awaiting 3'our pleasure, I am. 

Yours truly, 

Henry E. Straight 

The bill referred to above provides for the appointment of a state 
school book commission to be appointed by the governor with the follow- 
ing duties : — 

First. The preparation of a uniform course of study to be used in the 
first eight grades of our common schools. 

Second. The selection of the best books published at the lowest price 
possible to be used in teaching the subjects prescribed in the said course of 
study. 

Third. To secure a binding contract from the publishers of said books 
to furnish them to any school patron or other person upon request. 

Fourth. All books selected to be used uniformly in the grades men- 
tioned. 

Fifth. "All books to be paid for as they have been in the past, not 
''free text-books" unless the district so votes. 



SUPPRESSED BY "MODERATOR-TOPICS" 55 

Taken from pages 8 and 9 of "Unabridged Report of Straight- 
Pattengill Debate." 

In 1890 there was organized — by the consoHdation of Van Antwerp, 
Bragg & Co. ; Iverson. Blakeman & Co. ; A. S. Barnes & Co., and D. Ap- 
pleton & Co., four book pubHshing concerns — a combination known to us 
today as the A^nerican Book Company. 

In a few months it bought up Harper & Bros., another book pub- 
Hshing house, at a reported cost of $1,000,000. Through the absorption 
of twelve or fifteen other companies it has become one of the gigantic 
trusts of the countr}', dictating prices of school books and determining 
legislation. I contend that its ablest representative in Michigan is my 
opponent this evening. 

About the time of the organization of the American Book Company 
public sentiment for a State-wide uniform text-book law culminated in 
the passage of such an act in Kansas and Indiana. Since that time the 
struggle between the people and the book trust has been fierce. Tonight, 
permit me to say, I stand before you as the most conspicuous champion 
of the people's cause in this State. I am made conspicuous by the attacks 
of my enemies. A cause is often assaulted into prominence. Therefore 
I welcome this contest; not because I enjoy it, but because it will be 
another battle won for the school children of this State. This is not a 
contest, as you can see, between Mr. Pattengill and myself, but between 
the people of this State and the great school book publishing houses of 
this country. 

Through all these years the book trust has contested every inch of terri- 
tory on which the people have met it in battle. It has, however, retreated 
from lost battlefields "in order," leaving just enough of its force on the 
surrendered territory to make it embarrassing for those attempting to 
perfect legislation and to execute the laws. As in the history of the war 
in which the boys in blue fought, we find the records of battles lost or won, 
campaigns abandoned or prolonged, and heroes slain. In each, the cop- 
perhead, the traitor, and the deserter have played well their devilish 
parts. 

The American Book Company is encamped on Michigan soil. It is 
•foraging off^ our fertile fields. Since its organization it has used its profits 
here to wage its terrific wars in other States. Since it has lost supremacy 
in twenty-three States, it must of necessity secure greater sales in un- 
disputed territory. The profits derived from sales in this State are not 
only used to prosecute its warfare in other States, but to make its position 
in Michigan more secure. It bites the hand that feeds it. Are you, my 
friends, willing to be duped any longer? Will the people of Michigan 
awake to the true situation and demand relief? Are our hearthstones to 
be used to restore life to the frozen snake that warms itself to bite our 
children? 

"Moderator=Topics" did not see fit to publish the foregoing in 
connection with that part of the report which it printed. WHY? 

From "Unabridged Report of Straight-Pattengill debate," page 27: — 
Mr. Chairman, just excuse me a moment. I would like to get a map 
here. [Mr. Pattengill produces a map.] 

It occurred to me you people would like to know the situation here 
of the text-book business. Now the dark part of that map represents 
the State-uniformity States — The States having text-book uniformity. 
The light part of it represents those that don't have it. The red 
cross represents States that once had such laws and have repealed them. 
Now you can see what the trend is. You will notice that the States hav- 
ing State uniformity are the Southern States and States of ven,' sparse 



56 STRAIGHT-PATTENGILL DEBATE 

population, with the exception of Indiana and Kansas and perhaps Ore- 
gon and California. These are the only exceptions. The South had that 
stuck on to it by the carpet-baggers in the carpet-bagging days because 
they could get more money and get more jobs through uniform text- 
books, and they put these in, and they [uniform text-books] have been 
maintained largely because many of these districts have black illiterate 
population, and that it would be impossible for them [negroes] to select 
their books, and that has held them [Southern States] from getting out 
from under it [State uniformity], as Kentucky, Missouri, and Minnesota 
have. Minnesota, I believe, had uniform text-books for fifteen years, 
and had to have an amendment to the State Constitution to abolish them. 
They made one attempt, but it did not have a majority. So they had to 
let it go five years more; and the next time they cleaned it, [State uni- 
formity] out entirely. You can see how the States stand on text-book 
uniformit}' — nearly all in the illiterate and black States. I think 75 per 
cent of the population of this country today are living in non-uniform 
States, and go per cent of the intelligence of this country is in non-uni- 
form States. The tendency is away from it rather than toward it. 

According to the United States histories on the market at the 
present time, the "carpet=bagging days" in the South were over about 
the year 1876. A list of the states, showing the dates of uniform 
text=book laws, now operative therein, follows: — 

Hon. A. A^ Young, March 11, 1913 

Dear Sir: — Replying to your request, the following states have uni- 
form books, with dates as to about when laws were passed in so far as I 
know : — 

Indiana 1889 Mississippi . 1904 

Kansas 1897 Kentucky* 1904 

Montana 1897 Oklahoma 1908 

Texas . 1897-1902-'07-'ll Florida 1911 

Idaho 1899 W. Virginia 1911 

Oregon 1899 Louisania . . over 10 years 

Tennessee 1899 S. Carolina, .over 20 years 

North Carolina .... 1901 Utah ■ 

Nevada 1901 Arizona 

Virginia 1902 California**. over 15 years 

Alabama 1903 New Mexico 

Georgia 1903 

THIS IS A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE EIGHT STATES HAV- 
ING HAD UNIFORMITY LAWS, AS AGAINST TWENTY-THREE 
STATES NOW OPERATING UNDER STATE UNIFORMITY 
LAWS, AS SHOWN ABOVE:— 

■ Hon. A. V. Young, 
MINNESOTA Dear Sir: — Concerning the eight states having been 
under uniform system and having discarded it, will 
say, that no state in the Union having once discarded 
the systera now in vogue in Michigan ever went back 
to local district selection of books, except possibly Min- 
nesota, which passed their law in 1893, after having a 
very unpopular law, which did not include the cities, and 
a law under which good books could not be secured. 

*See explanation on page 57. 

**Tlie only state ever having had state ownership of text-hook copyrights 
and control of state printing of same, decided by popular vote upon uniform 
free text-books and these facts were misrepresented in "Moderator-Topics," 
which mentioned "free" but forgot to say "Uniform." See pages 103-104. 



SUPPRESSED BY PUBLIC PRESS 



57 



MISSOURI This state had a law that did not permit a revision 

of the books until further action upon the part of the 
legislature, which fastened upon the state books for 
an indefinite period of time. The revulsion of feel- 
ing against this condition induced them to change to 
the next best thing that they seemed to be able to get, 
which was county uniformity. 

MICHIGAN This state never had state uniformity. In fact they 

passed a law, but repealed it before it could go into 
efifect. 

KENTUCKY This state is still operating under a state uniform 

law, but went back to county uniformity for the rea- 
son that the very first adoption for the revision of their 
books, which were 100 per cent American Book Com- 
pan)r, antiquated publications which were necessitated 
on account of the provisions of the law ; were retained. 

VERMONT This state never had state uniformity as a letter 

from a state superintendent of that state will show. 

WASHINGTON This state had an unsatisfactory law, because no 
book could be sold at retail price in the state at more 
than 66 2-3 per cent of its list price. This put into the 
state a lot of worthless books. 

WYOMING Wyoming I know nothing about. 

DELAWARE Delaware I know nothing about. 

Yours truly, 

James T. Guffin 
THE OBSERVER 

The only paper in the city that has the sanction of the Trades' and 
Labor Council. The official organ of the Michigan Federation of Labor 
for Western Michigan. 

Grand Rapids, Michigan, Monday, February 10, 1913. 

UNIFORM TEXT-BOOK 
OR FREE TEXT-BOOK? 

The education of the child is vested in the state, to its own enchance- 
ment, and it is conceded that, the greater the intelligence the more valuable 
becomes the state, and more rapid its progress. 

We claim that because a boy is -born in a locality that will necessitate, 
when of school age, a long journey daily to get an education, is no reason 
why the state should discriminate in favor of the boy born in a locality 
where better educational facilities exist ; the place of birth being a matter 
over which neither boy can decide for himself. The state owes both boys 
an equal chance in so far as it is able to provide. 

The question of "uniform" or "free" books is not an affirmative or 
negative one, and should not be arrayed against each other, for the reason 
that books may be "free" but uniform, as in California, or they may be 
"uniform" but purchased by individual patrons, as in Oklahoma, or they 
may be free in some districts and purchased by individual patrons in others 
and still be "uniform" in all districts of a state. 

Our bill proposes uniformity in the books used, leaving it to local dis- 
tricts as to whether they shall be "free" or purchased by the individual 
patrons, and embodies all the good features of, and eliminates the bad, 
that have been found to exist in the twenty-three other states, having uni- 
formity laws. 



58 PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 

- The question is : — Shall our schools be conducted according to the con- 
stitution of the state and rules laid down by our Supreme court decisions 
for the purpose of securing a more efficient school system, or shall their 
efficiency be hampered in the interest of book-agents, school journals and 
monopoly. This is the issue. 

In the years we have spent on this subject, we can truthfully say, that 
not one argument has been advanced, that will hold against the provisions 
of our educational commission bill. 

PROVISIONS OF THE BILL 

No. 1. An educational commission consisting of five members. 

No. 2. Its duties are to select text-books to be used uniformly in the 
first twelve grades of our public schools. To determine upon a course of 
study and to be a stimulus, at all times, for advancing educational condi- 
tions. 

Henry E. Straight, 

Senator Ninth District 
A. A/'. Young, 

Rep. Mecosta County 

The foregoing article explaining tlie bill, as introduced by the 
members of the Legislature whose signatures were attached thereto, 
was given to the press January 27, 1913, at the time of its introduc= 
tion, but was suppressed and only published as indicated, insofar as 
I have been able to learn. This statement clearly shows that the 
bill does not interfere with the "Home Rule" provisions that have 
existed in Michigan for years, allowing each district to vote as to 
the question of whether books shall be purchased and used as free 
books or whether they sail be purchased by individual patrons. 
BUT THOSE WHO ARE ADVOCATING "FREE BOOKS, LOCAL 
ADOPTION" FOR THE ENTIRE STATE ARE TRYING TO FORCE 
FREE BOOKS ON THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE VOTED 
ON THE QUESTION AND DECIDED AGAINST IT. 

"Only the actions of the just 
Smell sweet and blossom in the dust." 
— Shirley 



PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISING 

MEDIUMS 

Curiosities 

Teachers' Reading 

The school book publishers support with their advertising, and 
the school teachers read the school journals, excerpts from which 
the following pages contain. 

From "Moderator-Topics," January 16, 1913: — 

" 'Alurder will out' is an old saying, handed down from our fathers' 
fathers. We have been looking for the truth to break loose in Indiana 
and go 'cavorting around' the china-shop arguments of the patriots ( ?) 
who infest our legislatures with hare-brained schemes to save millions 
('mental' millions, 'stage money') while over-looking the real interests of 
their constituents. We confess, however, we had not hoped for so full. 



INDIANA FOR UNIFORM HIGH SCHOOL BOOKS 59 

complete and irrefutable an argument against state uniformity as our 
neighbors have furnished us of their own free will and accord." 

"Murder will out." This proverbial word trio which Mr. Patten= 
gill tells us has been handed down "even from generation unto gen= 
eration" has become an exceedingly trite aphorism, yet it has as 
much truth about it today as the day someone in the far=distant 
past put it into the form of written thought. Roughly speaking, it 
is entirely true. The exceptions do not interest us here. 

But let us now take the second sentence of the "Moderator= 
Topics' " article: — ="We have been looking for the truth to break 
loose in Indiana." — Note how the said truth is expected to "go 
'cavorting around' the china=shop arguments of the patriots (?) who 
infest our legislatures," etc. 

We are glad that the truth HAS 'broken loose.' We have Mr. 
Pattengill's word for it and nothing could please us better. Lest he 
may have some uneasiness on the subject we desire to state that the 
"Uniform" porcelain of the 'patriots,' (Pattengill expression), is 
still intact. (See following letter and telegram.) We have no fear 
of this animal, "Truth," and he may come and sleep in our china 
shop where we will leave him while we go home and rest with 
the certain assurance that when we again open the shop, we will 
not find even the glaze chipped on a single plate. 

STATE OF INDIANA 
Department of Public Instruction 

February 24, 1913. 
Mr. James T. Gufifin, 
Lansing, Michigan. 
Dear Sir : — I thank you for the newspaper clipping and your letter of 
February 24. Our Uniform High School Text-Book bill has now passed 
the Senate with a vote of 38-1, and the House by a vote of 85-7. It 
awaits the signature of the Governor to become a law. 

The lobby maintained here by the school book companies did not 
avail them much. With kindest regards to you, I remain 

Very truly yours, 
Chas. a. Greathouse 

Indianapolis, Ind., March 10th, 1913. 
James T. Guffin, 
Hotel Downey, 

Lansing, Mich. 
High school text-book bill has been signed by governor. 

Chas. A. Greathouse, 
4:51 P. M. 
Psalms, VII: 16. 

Editorial from "Moderator-Topics," Feb. 13, 1913 :■ — ■ 
If anything were needed to show the extremity to which the profes- 
sional text-book lobbyist and his chief ally in the legislature were pushed, 
it would be Senator Straight's attempt last week to take the consideration 
of text-book legislation away from the regular committee on education in 
the Senate, where it belongs, and have a special committee appointed to 
"probe" the question. To the credit of the Senate this neat little scheme 
was promptly turned down. If. such a move had come later in the ses- 
• sion, when the committee had shown any indication that it would fail to 
give a fair consideration to anv text-book measures, or that the commit- 



60 PUBLISHERS' ADJ'ERTISING MEDIUMS 

tee on education was made up of men incompetent to consider such ques- 
tions, it would not be so remarkable. But now, not much more than a 
week after Mr. Straight had introduced his pet uniform text-book bill, to 
have him seek thus to discredit the committee composed of most compe- 
tent, and so far as we know, of eminentl)', reputable and honest gentle- 
ment, is nothing more or less than an insult. 

Some comment on the above editorial is clearly necessary in the 
interest of truth. "Moderator=Topics," with its characteristic disre= 
gard of facts has so garbled the truth that an entirely false impres= 
sion is given and it would seem impossible that this could have been 
done unintentionally. 

The truth about the proposal to appoint a special committee is 
simply that the regular committee did not have wide enough powers 
to summon witnesses and adduce the testimony which it- seemed 
imperative the committee should possess. That there never was any 
idea of usurping the powers of the regular committee in Mr. 
Straight's mind, but that, instead, it was merely intended to assist 
this committee, is clearly shown by the paragraph printed below and 
taken from the resolution. 

"Resolved, That the said committee shall, at once, proceed to 
gather all information possible to secure, not only from within dur 
State, but from the several states, touching upon the several plans 
and phases of school book legislation, AND REPORT TO THE COM= 
MITTEE ON EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, and from time 
to time to the Senate, the result of these investigations." 

No honest man or corporation need fear a probe and indeed, wel= 
comes it if there has been the slightest suggestion that there were 
things concealed. It merely serves to clear his or their reputations. 
On the other hand, a most excellent time to use the probe thoroughly, 
is that time when there are those who are fighting to avoid it. If 
there is anything irregular to be unearthed, the sooner the public is 
given the facts, the better. 

IT SEEMS ENTIRELY CLEAR THAT THE TRUE PURPOSE 
OF THE ABOVE EDITORIAL WAS TO STIR UP DISSENSION IN 
THE SENATE. 

Herewith is another editorial from the same issue : — 
For two years past a commission appointed by our State Teachers' 
Association has been making an exhaustive examination of the entire text- 
book problem in all its many-sided phases. The committee is_made up of 
business men and school men. Note the list : Mr. W. H. Brunson of St. 
Johns ; Judge Wm. Carpenter of Muskegon ; Mr. Fred Wells of Battle 
Creek — all excellent members of boards of education. Supts. E. C. War- 
riner, Saginaw ; S. O. Hartwell, Kalamazoo, E. E. Ferguson, Bay City ; 
County Commr. E. W. Yost of Wayne county, and Prof. E. A. Lyman of 
the State Normal College. Every one of them sane, capable, experienced, 
and irreproachable men. This board -was given full scope, and the asso- 
ciation provided funds to meet the necessary expenses of a thorough, can- 
did, careful study. For two years they have been collecting data from 
every state in the union, collecting it, studying it, summarizing it. The 
committee has knowledge, power, skill, and integrity. Its conclusion 
should have great weight with every fair minded, honest, and unprejudiced 
legislator. No snap committee proposed by the legislature to "probe" the 
question could even get the data together in one legislative session. No 
bill touching the subject of text-book handling should be reported out 
until this State Text-book Commission* has had a hearing, or several of 

*Not a State Text-book Commission. See page 2. 



"MODERATOR-TOPICS" FOR MONOPOLY 61 

them if need be, before the joint committees of house and senate. The 
commission has a report just about ready now, and this should be care- 
fulh' studied by every member. Once the facts are known, a law satis- 
factory to every friend of the public schools, and believer in a square 
deal can be enacted. Look out for the person so eager to get his special 
text-book legislation foisted on the state that he will not listen to expert 
and painstaking testimony. Look out for the fellow* who claims that 
everybody who differs with him is dishonest. Teachers, write or speak to 
3'our legislators. Condemn state uniformity, commend the Minnesota bill 
regulating prices of text-books. That's good whether we have free text- 
books or not. State wide free text-books and the Minnesota plan would 
T)e the ideal solution. 

School=book Publisher Pattengill in his "Moderator=Topics" has 
conducted a campaign of misrepresentation and vituperation for the 
past two years in the interest of the American Book Company in the 
advocacy of local adoption of school books. The Minnesota law is 
in the interest of said company and was put on to Ohio over twenty 
years ago, shortly after the American Book Company was incor= 
porated under the laws of New Jersey. 

The following was printed in the "Political Science Quarterly," March^ 
1891. and republished by Henry Holt & Company in~"CITIZENSHIP 
AND SCHOOLS," by Jeremiah W. Jenks, under copyright 1906:—- 

"In Ohio, also, last winter the demand for cheaper text-books made 
itself felt. . . . Each local board has the right to adopt whichever books 
it pleases from this list. . . . It is worthy of note, in the first place, that 
the prices are to be fixed on the books 'in use in the public schools.' It is 
asserted that this special provision was made at the instance of publishers 
who had liiany books already in use, and who knew that some such meas- 
ure would probably be passed. . . . Others assert that the purpose was to 
avoid state uniformity." 

The American Book Company came into existence in 1890 and 
had about 90 per cent of the Ohio business in 1891 when the fore= 
going statements first appeared in print. 

From "Moderator-Topics, February 27, 1913 : — 

One of the best catholic priests in Michigan said to the editor after the 
merits of free text-books had been made clear to him : "Why, Mr. Patten- 
gill, we cannot oppose such a blessing as that would be to the poor. The 
cost is so trifling to our people, and the good so great to all. Children of 
our own communion in the public schools where we have no parochial 
schools, and our youth in pubhc high schools would receive far more than 
our people would pay in additional taxes. 

While I shall not question the authenticity of the foregoing state= 
ment, it is not in line with the facts as I have heretofore met them 
in my legislative experience in Wisconsin. 

From "Moderator-Topics," March 6, 1913 :— 

Uniformity is a fetich. 

One does not need to choose between free text-books and uniformity. 
Senator King's bill gives the advantages of uniformity and none of its 
many and, dangerous disadvantages. 

The professional lobbyist for state uniform texts left for "professional" 
zvork in a neighboring state for a few weeks, but he has doubtless been re- 
called or'tvill be at the psychologic time. Perhaps he went to secure muni- 
tions of zi'ar. 
Proverbs, XII: 23. 

*"Worth makes the man, and want of it, the fellow." — Pope. 



62 PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 

SCHOOL TEXT BOOKS. 
Mrs. R. M. Broinnell, Lapeer, Mich. 

We are glad to note that many of Michigan's best knozvn educators op- 
poses the so-called "Uniform School Text-Books" proposition. 

That plan would waste millions of dollars perhaps, now oivned, in . 
part, by resident pupils, under pretense of saving expense to transient 
ones — hut incidentalfy to create literary jobs, or political pulls for 
favorites. 

Were we to discard all these hooks now in use, who would be the 
greater loser — the many resident pupils, or the few transient ones zvho are 
imta.ved? 

Children whose parents are unable to buy their books are furnished 
with free te.vt-books, zvhich may be sold at the second-hand book stores 
on leaving toztm and nezv ones zuoidd be given them at the next place. 

However, the Ohio system of purchasing books is an improvement on 
Michigan's. No publisher can sell a book in Ohio until it has been ap- 
proved and listed zvith the state school book commissioner, {governor, 
secretary of state and state commissioner of public schools) zvho shall 
list it at not over y^ per cent of zvholesale price ; and shall keep a list of 
all such books with the prices. The publisher must contract to sell such 
books for five years. 

Every district school board has a copy of the list and may select there- 
from, (and if possible, contract for a less price) and may order for its 
pupils all necessary books, charging not over ten per cent for handling, etc. 

Competition thus lessens the price in Ohio, and no school book graft 
can be hidden in either regular supplemental or reading circle zvork as in 
Oklahoma. 

Taken from "Wisconsin Journal of Education," April, 1908: — 
UNIFORMITY VS. INDIVIDUALITY 

The state of Ohio is wrestling with the question of state uniformity of 
text-books. This is a worse calamity than county uniformity because the 
unite is larger. So far as Wisconsin is concerned, county uniformity has 
been repudiated by the school board conventions in every county of the 
state and Ohio wi'll do well to look out for the GREATER CURSE OF 
STATE UNIFORMITY. It is getting to be a difficult matter to take out 
of the hands of the people the home-rule privileges which they enjoy. As 
regards the text-book question, school boards today are getting the best 
books at minimum prices. Each district decides for itself what will suit 
its own immediate needs. Free books are provided in some districts and 
no poor people are deprived of the proper working tools of the school- 
room. The great competition between book companies insures to the pub- 
lic the best there is to be produced by both authors and publishers. The 
most serious objection to either county or state adoption is that sweeping 
changes are made every five years and that the opportunity for graft is so 
strong few have been able to withstand it. The history of the recent 
Missouri adoption is still fresh in the minds of all publishers.- The only 
possible idea for uniformity is based on migration. It is not probable that 
3 per cent of school children change in a year from one county to another 
or from one state to another. There are in the United States today over 
one hundred companies publishing text-books which completely offsets 
the plea that this business is monopolized by any one concern. 

While uniformity is a good thing in many forms of government, we 
want to be careful in its application to public school instruction. We do 
not want all our children turned out in the same mold. It is this objection 



WISCONSIN, INDIANA SCHOOL JOURNALS 63 

which has thrown vertical writing out of the schools. Individuality is a 
greater blessing than uniformity in the development of the child. 

Taken from "Wisconsin Journal of Education," September, 1911, after 
the defeat of state uniform legislation in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, 
and the passage of such laws in West Virginia and Florida and the Min- 
nesota monopoly law : — 

THE STATE TEXT-BOOK INVESTIGATION 
• There was considerable agitation in school circles last winter when a 
so-called uniform text-book bill was introduced into the legislature which 
provided for uniformity of texts throughout the state and named a com- 
mission of five members, consisting of the Governor, two of his appointees, 
the state superintendent, and the president of the university, to determine 
the texts to be used. At first the bill did not attract much attention, but 
soon school boards and teachers realized that the passage of such an act 
would not only reflect seriously upon the professional dignity of the 
teacher, but would deprive local school boards of a power which they held 
was justly theirs. 

The bill was finally defeated and a ver}- sensible substitute offered and 
passed. This provides for the appointment of a committee from both 
houses of the legislature to investigate the text-book conditions in Wis- 
consin, and to report to the next legislature. The wisdom of such a move- 
ment is apparent to all educators of the state, for the charges made when 
the uniform bill was up for discussion, if half of them are true, are most 
serious. THIS COMMITTEE WILL BE ABLE TO DETERMINE 
FOR ITSELF, WITHOUT TAKING THE SAY-SO OF SOME 
DISINTERESTED OUTSIDER, just what the actual conditions are. 
IF THE BOOK COMPANIES ARE CHARGING DIFFERENT 
PRICES IN DIFFERENT LOCALITIES, THE REMEDY SHOULD 
BE APPLIED AT ONCE. On the other hand, if they are not guilty 
of the charges made against them during the debate on this bill, they 
should be exonerated. The committee which will investigate this subject 
consists of Assemblymen Thomas Mahon, Eland, Chairman ; T. A. Roy- 
croft, Chippewa Falls : Charles B. Perry, Milwaukee ; Senators Harry 
Martin, Darlington, and John S. Donald, Mt. Horeb. 

From "The Teacher's Journal," Marion. Indiana, December, 1908. 
Eleven editorials : — 

Justice to othe pupil would give him the best book in the market ; not 
the cheapest. 

The State Legislature meets in January. If you want something for 
the cause of education, speak out. 

Progress does not consist in reducing everything to a dead level. In- 
finite variety and change is its law. 

Have you some pronounced ideas on the school text-book problem? 
If so, send them to the Teacher's Journal. We want to know what you 
think about it. 

If a man has no property, other people pay the expense of educating 
his children. Is it unfair to ask him to furnish his children the necessary 
books? 

Theoretically, we have State uniformity of text-books. Practically, in 
many good schools, we have some splendid up-to-date supplementary 
books. 



64 PUBLISHERS' ADVERTISING MEDIUMS 

A good many people have much to say about the cost of school books 
for their children when they spend ten times as much for needless and 
often foolish articles. 

We are hardly ready for free text-books, but if it is necessary to have 
free books in order to have first-class ones, those in harmony with the 
spirit of present day progress and adjusted to the needs of the various 
communities, then let us have free text-books. 

Does it not seem reasonable that a county superintendent, together 
with his best teachers and the trustees can select the kinds of books 
adapted to their needs very much better than those who know nothing of 
local conditions and are not particularly interested in them ? 

Why not adopt one kind of plow the State over for twenty years ? The 
soil does not vary as much as children's minds and the interests of the 
various communities. It would be a bonanza for the firm securing the 
contract, though a little hard on some of the plowmen ; but it might save 
the farmer two or three dollars a year. Is not that sufficient reason for 
"uniformity?" 

Here we have that old "plow" argument working back in 1908. 
Representative Odell says that uniform plows or uniform hats do 
not appeal to him because, when a man moves into the next county, 
he can take his hat with him and wear it, but the school books 
his children carried would not fit. 

Though our teachers are supposed to have a professional training and 
be thoroughly familiar with the subjects which they are to teach, yet many 
of them teach little except what is in the book, and a good deal of that not 
very thoroughly. Many of them have had little experience, are not good 
organizers, have vague ideas of essentials, have all the grades and many 
classes to teach. These teachers think they do well to teach what is in the 
book, to .say nothing of supplementary work. They manage to keep busy 
every minute and do not discuss facts or principles not found in the text- 
book. For this and many other reasons the pupil ought to have a book 
" that gives fundamental principles with other subject matter adapted to the 
development of these principles and the fixing of essential facts in the 
mind. It is nonsense to talk about the teacher taking the place of the text- 
book in developing principles, supplying facts and working out all defini- 
nitions. Possibly the teacher of science with well equipped laboratories 
might get along reasonably well ; that is, might teach many important facts 
and work out the laws of the subject so that his pupils would be well 
grounded in the essentials of the particular science. But it is pretty safe 
to predict that just as soon as the pupil becomes thoroughly awakened and 
interested in the subject he will want to know what some one else thinks 
about a particular fact or principle, and, if books are at hand, he will in- 
vestigate and such investigation, even though he find his own ideas veri- 
fied, will reveal other valuable matter that without the book he would not 
have known. If access to great libraries is indispensable to the thorough, 
scholarly man, why is not a good book or a few good books even more 
necessary to the individual who has been less fortunate in his educational 
advantages ? 

From "The School Century," Oak Park, 111., May, 1909:— 
The editor of this magazine setsup no defense whatever for the ques- 
tionable business methods which occasionally have been resorted to in 
heated contests for adoptions in various quarters. On the contrary, he 



SCHOOL JOURNAL DEFENDS AMERICAN BOOK CO. 65 

has only words of condemnation for these methods. There is one method, 
especially, born in this fierce competition for business, which can not be 
too severely condemned, because it has resulted in placing the whole 
schoolbook business in a false light before the public, and which is likely 
to result in legislation inimical to the, business, as private enterprise, and 
thereby greatly retard the rate of educational progress. Reference is here 
had to the cry of "Schoolbook Trust," originated and directed against the 
American Book Company by the agents of rival houses, in the bitter con- 
tests for text-book adoptions. This 'epithet has been caught up greedily 
by a depraved public press and heralded as truth in most sensational forms 
thruout the entire country, tnitil many people have come to believe that 
there is really and truly a "Schoolbook Trust." Of all the questionable 
methods and base falsehoods indulged in by book agents, nothing that they 
have ever done, has accomplished half so much to their own dishonor, and 
to degrade in the eyes of the public a business that should occupy a place 
next in honor to the public school itself, as has their never-ending cry of 
"Schoolbook Trust." The newspapers, ever on the hunt for scandal, have 
multiplied the influence of the book man's cry by dealing out columns of 
sensational stuff with a disregard for truth that would put to shame the 
Devil himself. This cry more than all other influences has af- 
fected AND IS forwarding PUBLIC OPINION TOWARD ST.\TE AND CITY 
SCHOOLBOOK PUBLICATION. * =^ * * * 

Well informed school men, today, know that there is no "Schoolbook 
Trust" in this country and that there never has been one, and never can be 
one. A schoolbook is the product of brains and professional skill, and 
source of supply is absolutely unlimited and beyond the control of any 
trust or monopoly. 

The editor of tl^is magazine for several months has contemplated mak- 
ing some "such statement of facts as are here given, for the benefit of the 
readers of The School Century. He has- no ax to grind, no favors to seek, 
in thus denouncing the utter falsehood of the "Trust" epithet as applied 
to any schoolbook firm in the United States. He believes that every book 
agent, every teacher, and every paper that circulates the falsehood works 
an injury to the cause of education by furthering the movement of 

PUBLIC opinion toward ST.VTE AND CITY PUBLICATION OF TEXT-BOOKS. 

If that movement ever comes to fruition it will be disastrous to pro- 
gress in educational thought and educational methods. 

There is a great deal of agitation just now in Chicago and some other 
quarters over the many instances of unreasonable variation in the prices 
charged by publishers for the same text-books in different parts of the 
country. In attempting to reform this injustice by state legislation there 
is danger of doing a great injustice to education. 

Nothing said about uniformity, emphasis placed on state publica= 
tion. 

The very best teacher in ninety=nine cases out of a hundred, 
would be absolutely incapable of producing a text=book that would 
meet the general requirements of all teachers as a tool of instruc= 
tion. 

A teacher may have years of experience in teaching a given sub= 
ject, but that is no indication that he is fitted to prepare a text= 
book on his subject that would be practical and satisfactory. The 
carpenter who daily uses a chisel and is well aware of its merits 
would be helpless if required to forge and temper a tool to suit his 
purpose. 

The writer of a text=book may be called an author but it takes 



66 PUBLISHERS' ADJ^ERTISING MEDIUMS 

more than a facility of verbage to compass the peculiar requisites 
vital to the production of practical texts. A mathematition of note 
might be totally unfitted to compile a primary arithmetic. A knowU 
edge of children and their idiosyncrasys — a knowledge of the re= 
quirements in the various grades — a knowledge of the science of 
teaching — all these are essential to anyone who would prepare a 
book calculated to produce the best results in the hands of teachers. 

We may start with a wide familiarity with a subject; we may 
prepare a learned text, we may call into play the best efforts of the 
printer and binder and we may produce a so=called text=book. And 
yet this carefully prepared book may prove to be almost worthless 
as a teachable text. 

Such a statement will be conceded to be well within the lines of 
fact when it is realized that even our best equipped publishers with 
their trained corps of critics may read, re=read and revise a manu= 
script, endorse it for publication and finally produce the book, only 
to find that it is an absolute failure. This is an experience parallel 
to that with which our dramatists frequently find themselves con= 
fronted. A play that has beeji passed by the critics of the big pro= 
ducers may fall absolutely dead when it is given to the public. These 
facts BEING FACTS, how could it be expected that a state could 
produce its own text=books with any measure of success? 

It is well known in the publishing world that eight out of nine 
text=books prepared are failures when put to the test of practical 
use. 

The State of Kansas will not get as good books on all subjects and 
at as good prices under their state publication scheme as they are 
getting now. It may be well to note that the American Book Com= 
pany has a very small amount of the business on the present list of 
adopted state uniform books. 

Successful state preparation and publication of school text=books 
is a Utopian dream. 

Again from "The School Century," Oak Park, III, March, 1913 :— 

The school people of Illinois and other states should be alert and on 
their guard. Wherever the proposition of state uniformity shows its head 
the school people should aim to down it. Everywhere the schooFpeople 
are against it. 

Note how the Michigan State Teachers' Association, 8,500 teachers 
strong, through a text-book commission has declared unanimously and 
unreservedly against state uniformity. 

Note the last three paragraphs in the following editorial wherein 
the same sentiment is expressed as in the foregoing. 

JOURNAL OF EDUCATION 
Boston, New York, and Chicago, July 27, 1911 

A. E. WINSHIP, EDITOR 

HEROIC RESCUE IN WISCONSIN 

The educational forces of Wisconsin have triumphed gloriously. A 
combination of misgaiided and vicious forces, in and out of the state, 
drafted a bill intended to dethrone educators and enthrone politicians. 
The bill was focused to humiliate educational specialists. 

It denied to the school officials, the superintendent, and the teachers of 



BOSTON JOURNAL OF EDUCATION EDITORIAL 67 

every city and town in the state the right to have any say, directly or in- 
directly, in the books to be used in the schools. 

For a third of a century there has been a widespread professional 
movement so to dignify and to magnify the office of superintendent that 
men of character and culture would make superintendency their profes- 
sion. One important factor in this movement to ennoble and profession- 
alize this office has been the tendenc}' to allow him to select the books with 
which to promote educational progress in his schools. Thirty years ago 
books were largely selected by members of boards of education, often in 
defiance of the opinion of the superintendent, but so rapid has been the 
change that in scarcely any city in Wisconsin will a publisher interview 
members of the board of education until he knows that the superintendent 
has no prejudice against his book. 

Superintendency in Wisconsin has become a profession with scholarly 
men and women of high character in office. The politician and the near- 
grafter have been almost entirely eliminated. 

Of course, this is distasteful to certain interests, and like a flash out of 
a clear sky came a legislative scheme to debase the superintendency, to 
undo in an hour that which it has taken a third of a century to do by way 
of elimianting evil forces and promoting professionalism. 

So thoroughly and quietly had these forces been at work that their 
strength was not suspected and busy superintendents and boards of edu- 
cation were attending to their own regulation duties while the evil was 
being, worked out. Almost as suddenly as the knowledge of the plot was 
revealed came the awakening of communities. First of all came the in- 
dependent action of Mrs. Mary D. Bradford, superintendent of Kenosha, 
who wrote to the representatives and senators of that section of the state 
this note :— 

"A bill for uniform text-books should be killed. It is not pos- 
sible that any commission could select books that would be ac- 
ceptable to all the schools of the state, and I feel and I believe 
that it is the belief of all the members of the Kenosha board of 
education that we should be allowed to use our own judgment in 
making up the list of text-books for Kenosha. Such a law would 
mean a change of text-books afifecting every school in the state, 
and there is no reason to suspect that similiar changes would not 
be ordered by the commission in the future. School boards in all 
parts of the state have gone on record as being opposed to the 
state usurping the power that is given to the school boards under 
the present laws, and they are opposed to any change." 
Immediately the board of education of Kenosha, the city attorney and 
other officials protested to the legislature, and cities without number fol- 
lowed until the atmosphere at Madison changed as by magic. 

There has been no instance in which educators of a state have asserted 
themselves so suddenly, so universally, so efficiently as in Wisconsin from 
June 1 to 10. 

We believe that in other states educational forces could be equally 
powerful if they had the courage of their convictions as they had in Wis- 
consin. 

It seems extremely peculiar, to say the least, that while the above 
editorial appears in a copy of the "Journal of Education," July 37, 
1911, procured in Milwaukee, another copy of this paper BEARING 
THE SAME DATE and procured in Chicago, contains not a line of 
this article. It must be like Aladdin's Qeni and appear or disappear 
at the will of the editor according to the locality in which the paper 
is to be circulated. 



68 PUBLISHERS' ADFERTISING MEDIUMS 

The following is a copy of the letter written by Mary D. Brad= 
ford, Kenosha, Wis. Compare it with the note credited to her in the 
foregoing editorial from the "Journal of Education," by Mr. A. E. 
Winship and see if it corresponds. 

KENOSHA PUBLIC SCHOOLS 

Mrs. Mary D. Bradford 

superintendent 

Kenosha, Wis., Ma_v 26, 1911 ^ 

AN OPEN LETTER 
Hon. Fred Brockhausen, 

Madison, Wis. 

Dear Sir: — Speaking as one who has worked in practically all grades 
and classes of schools, beginning with the little country school, permit me 
to say that I trust most sincerel)' there may be no foundation to the rumor 
that the State Legislature is contemplating legislation favorable to a uni- 
form system of school text-books for the schools in Wisconsin. Were 
there even approximate uniformity in the various school districts in grada- 
tion, in length of school term, in the ability, qualifications and training of 
their teaching force, in the equipment and librar5' facilities, in local con- 
ditions and needs, to say nothing of the home environment and advantages 
surrounding the pupils in attendance at the several schools, — were there 
even an approach at uniformity in these conditions, there would, never- 
theless, be grave reasons whv anv single, artificial and inflexible system of 
school text-books should not be enforced upon each and every school. 

While the compulsory use of one and the same series of school text- 
books in all the graded and city systems of schools in Wisconsin would ^ 
work most serious hardships and would impose handicaps for the success- 
ful conduct of these school systems, nevertheless the blow would fall most 
heavily upon the rural schools, the poor school districts, and the children 
of those parents who now find it difficult enough to give them even the 
beginnings of a common school education. The well-to-do districts and 
the parents in easier financial circumstances might be willing and able .to 
secure for their children the additional school text-books desirable and 
necessary for their school work even after the required unifomi books 
have been purchased. However, the very districts and the very children 
who need advantages would be just the ones which would have to struggle 
along with only those books which the uniform state law prescribed. 

Wisconsin is proud of her schools built up through more than half a 
century of toil and sacrifice and effort on the part of her citizens. Her 
taxpayers have willingly contributed millions upon millions of dollars to 
the support of the schools with a firm belief that the future welfare of the 
state is best insured by properly educating the boys and girls. Although 
there may still be avenues through which improvements may come to our 
schools, I hope that neither the present Legislature nor any other which 
ever assembles in Wisconsin will ever permit itself to be led astray by 
false gods to the extent of striking so deadly a blow to the cause of edu^ 
cation as would fall should an inflexible uniform state text-book law be 
placed upon our statute books. I am. 

Very respectfully yours, 

(Signed) j\1arv D. Bradford 

Taken from '^School Board Journal,'' Milwaukee, Wis., Nov., 1912 : — 

In Michigan the public interest in the state adoption of books as op- 
posed to the present district and city selection has been stimulated through 
the campaign led by Mr. H. E. Straight of Coldwater, a member of the 



LOCAL ADOPTION GRAFT CONDONED 69 

legislature who introduced a bill for uniformit}^ in the last state assembly. 
Opposition to the measure has been almost unanimous on the part of the 
school people. 

17. The whole trend of educational progress is far away from and 
not toward uniformity. Shall the welfare of our children be handicapped 
by the caprice, ignorance or cupidity of narrow partisians, fly-by-night 
publishers of inferior text-books, professional lobbyists, or politicians 
tinkering with things they do not understand and will not take the pains 
to inform themselves on? 

18. It discriminates against the poor man's child. The rich can buy- 
supplementary books for the child's use at home. The poor man's child 
is limited to the scanty school texts fostered''' on him by state uniformity. 

19. Boards competent to select teachers and adopt high school books^ 
are competent, with the advice of the teachers who use the books, to decide 
on the texts. They are close to the taxpayers and can be held responsible 
easily. Not so with the state board. 

Extract from an article in the ]\Iarch, 1913. American School Board 
Journal under an "Introductory Note" by "The Publisher," (William 
George Bruce) and said to be "An Interview with the ^lanager of 
a Leading Text-book House." 

The sales are promoted by extensive correspondence, circularizing-, 
and the personal attention of agents. These agents are selected with ex- 
treme care from among the most successful and reputable educators of 
this country, men who make a conscientious study of school conditions 
and give their support to the progress of the schools. Their constant and 
careful reports enable their Houses to select manuscripts adapted to and 
often in advance of educational progress. In fact, these men are the edu- 
cational missionaries, and the high standing of the schools of this country- 
is, to a large degree, attributable to their work. 

It is manifestly unfair to condemn all of these men because some mem- 
ber of a school board HAS DEGRADED himself to the extent of mak- 
ing a condition of HIS VOTE THAT OF FINANCIAL GAIN TO 
HIMSELF AND SOME AGENT HAS MET THE DEMAND. 

If "these agents" are a sample of the "most successful and 
reputable educators of the country" and yet resort to such ques= 
tionable practices as would appear from the preceding para= 
graph, it certainly places these "most successful and reputable edu= 
cators of the country" on a moral plane far lower than we would 
have cared to suggest. 

This bribe is very evidently not paid out of the agent's pocket 
and the question naturally arises, 'From where does the money 
come?' 

This is the first instance that has come to my attention where 
the "Manager of a Leading Text=book House" has dared to place the 
bribe=giver on a higher plane than the bribe=taker. Bribe taking^ 
could never have existed, nor can it exist, without the primal cause 
which makes possible this crime. Wherever we find a taker of 
bribes there must be first a giver of bribes, and while the former 
generally gets the prison sentence when discovered, the latter is the 
real criminal. 

It is just such "big business" that has corrupted our public offi= 
cials and has operated for the establishment of monopolistic suprem= 
acy in the respective states of the Nation. 

*Evidently "foisted" was the word intended. 



NEWS AND EDITORIAL 
THE PUBLIC PRESS 

From Columbus, Ohio, "Dispatch" : — 

SPEAKER VINING'S BILL. 

The speaker of the house framed the bill which provided for a uni- 
form system of school books. At the saine time Senator Yount had a 
similar inspiration, so these two statesmen put their heads together, and 
it was decided' to combine their ideas, and have them presented in the 
lower house by Mr. Gebhart. This was done. Then the book trust got 
busy. 

But they also had something else to keep them from a standstill. The 
Browder bill was presented, and stirred up the foam higher in the cruci- 
ble. This bill provided for the extension of the time of the present in- 
spector of schools to the third Monday in July, giving the school com- 
missioner the right to appoint his own assistant. But that didn't look 
good to L. C. Dick, who is hoping to be made state inspector of High 
schools, a place now filled by Snyder, so he jumped into the mails with 
letters to every school superintendent in the state, begging for their as- 
sistance. 

DICK'S LETTER TO SUPERINTENDENTS 

Here is one of the many he sent out : — 

I am deeply interested in having the Browder bill, "House bill No. 258," 
defeated. The present inspector's term expires in April, and Mr. Zeller 
has already appointed me and given me my commission for the position 
for two years. On the strength of that I leased our home in West Jeffer- 
son for a period of two years and leased a house in Colurnbus for the same 
period. 

The bill provides for the extension of the time of the present inspector 
to the third Monday in July, thus giving the commissioner-elect the power 
to appoint an inspector and knocking me out entirely. Of course, it 
is a partisian bill, pure and simple. If the law is permitted to remain as 
it now is, the commissioner-elect will get to appoint the man for the posi- 
tion before his first term expires, anyhow. 

You being a school man as well as a friend, I feel free to ask your aid 
in this matter. If you will write to your representative or see him person- 
ally and ask him as a personal favor to you to vote against the bill if it 
comes before him, I will be under lasting obligations to }^ou and trust the 
time may come when I can repay you in some way. 

I never dreamed of such a possibility, or I would have never been 
caught in the predicament in which I now find myself. The bill will be 
liable to come up any time after February 28. With kindest regards, I am, 
Sincerely yours, 

L. C. Dick 

The book trusts were right on the spot to help out Dick and try to de- 
feat the Gebhart and the Browder bills. They came out blatantly through 
their lobbyists, and swarmed around the statehouse. They did some brow- 
beating, and some cajoling; they beseiged the office of the speaker of the 
house, and tried to bully-rag him into a withdrawal or a modification of 
his expressed opinions regarding their practices. 

[70] 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY IN OHIO 71 

From "The Evening Dispatch." Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, April 
12,1911:— 

TRUSTS FIGHT UNIFORM SYSTEM 

The book trust has been holding in a grip of steel the hands of all who 
favor a uniform S3rstem of books. The heads of the trust know that 
where state uniformity is in operation, it has removed the influences of 
school book publishing houses from local affairs. 

Members or agents of the American Book Company have written 
some letters within the past twenty years which may well be incorporated 
in the famous saying of Jim Fiske, "Don't write; send word." Some of^ 
those letters are now snugly put away in the private safe of Speaker Vin- 
ing, but one of the most recent ones, which bears more closely on the 
Gebhart bill of which Mr. Vining is the author, and which will be voted 
on Thursday, is here presented. The letter was written to L. C. Dick, 
in answer to the letter from Mr. Dick, which was published in The Dis- 
patch recently: — 

Cincinnati, Ohio, Feb. 28, 1911 
Mr. Dear L. C. : — I have as you are aware been doing all in my power 
to prevent this bill from becoming a law, and put it up to our folks here 
and told them you must be protected. They have people in Columbus 
looking after matters and they promised me that this matter would be 
cared for as best they could. 

I saw Elza Limes last week, and he and I talked your situation over 
carefully. He has put Bill Durbin, the Hardin county Democrat politi- 
cian, and one of the leaders of the Democratic machine of the state, to 
work on your case. Durbin says he can defeat the bill. From what I 
know of Durbin and his ability to do what he says, I venture to say his 
statement is correct. He is in position, however, to have the governor 
veto it if it should pass the house and senate, and I am in position to do 
you a great deal of good through my friend, George Long, but I am in- 
clined to think from what I can hear, that the house will not pass the 
measure, and that it will not be necessary to attend to killing it in any 
place but the house. I do not mean to say now for you to quit work and 
take for granted that everything is lovely, but keep doing what you can to 
defeat it. 

Write me again if you hear of any new developments in that bill. I 
understand that C. C. Miller has actually accepted the deputyship under 
Miller, the commissioner-elect. Sincerely your friend. 

The name signed to this letter is one well known to Speaker Vining, 
as well as a majority of the Ohio politicians, and wijl be given on demand. 
He is an agent of the American Book Company, and its alleged represen- 
tative in this matter. 

The Browder bill became a law, but the Gebhart uniform book 
bill was defeated. 

COERCION ? 

Before reading the following editorial it may be well to know 
that the books in use in Findlay, Ohio, were published by the Ameri= 
can Book Company and were unsatisfactory. The servants of the 
people, (i. e., the superintendent of schools and the school board 
members), were about to exercise their wisdom and power by dis= 
placing the publications in use and did not contemplate taking other 
books published by the American Book Company. It is a safe guess 
that if the new books to be adopted were to be the publications of 



72 NEWS AND EDITORIAL, PUBLIC PRESS 

the American Book Company, or if there was any prospect of the 
superintendent not recommencing a change to the publications of 
other houses, this wail in the interests (?) of the people would not 
have been heard. They evidently had a superintendent in Findlay 
who was what "big business" would term "unfriendly." 

In 1908, in Milawukee, Wisconsin, the agent of the American 
Book Company, Mr. S. B. Todd, (deceased), employed an ex= 
member of the legislature, a newspaper man, Mr. George Qrassie. 
Arrangements were made to run articles in the news columns as 
well as editorials and these were the directions: — "Well, the super= 
intendent and the committee have gone against me and I want you 
to raise hell — particular hell." Mr. Grassie volunteered this in= 
formation to me a few years after this occurred. 

The files of some of the newspapers in Milwaukee for the month 
of May, 1908, will show that a campaign of misrepresentation and 
mis=statements of the facts was conducted for the evident purpose 
of prejudicing the reading public against their servants in office who 
were attempting to discharge their duties faithfully and honestly. 

FINDLAY (OHIO) DAILY COURIER 
July 28, 1911 

In one of our recent articles about the proposed change in school books 
we are informed that the same was inspired b}- the American Book Com- 
pany. What a great idea. That is good, very good. 

We thought that the .people of Findlay knew for what this paper stood. 
We believe that we stand for pure and wholesome thought. We are ear- 
nestly trying to interpret the thoughts and feelings of the citizens of Find- 
lay and neighboring towns. 

This paper has never been subsidized by any corporation, trust, or any 
other concern, in the heavens above, the earth beneath, or the waters under 
the earth. We intend to keep it free from any entangling alliance. We 
believe in a free and unrestricted press. We will talk out and talk out 
hard when it becomes necessary. Vox populi must be heard. We are here 
to listen. Remember that not always is the voice in the thunder or in the 
whirlwind. 

We have heard that our stand on the school question is meeting with 
approval by the rank and file of the voting population of this city. The 
parents who have to buy school books are satisfied with what we have in 
the schools. 

Over the plains a solitary horesman rode. The, poor old animal was 
almost ready to drop from exhaustion. The man raised his eyes and noted 
a dark speck in the distant sky. In a short time the horse dropped to the 
ground and the rider stood beside him upon the sand. The dark object 
was now above them circling round and round accompanied by many 
others. Where had those dark birds come from? They had scented the 
feast from afar. Here soon would be a banquet. That was Jhe reason the 
vultures were hovering in the blue sky above. 

But the horse was not dead. The feast was not forthcoming. In like 
manner hover the vulture book agents about Findlay. They have scented 
the feast from afar. The school board was going to make several changes 
in books. All the vultures want to be at the banquet. No, Mr. School 
Board, the old horse is not dead yet. You will find that it has a good deal 
of life left. You almost put one over on us. But we are awake. We are 
watching. 

We have been about the Phcenix Inn nearly every day. We see agents 



AMERICAN BOOK COMPANY (?) IN OHIO 71 

of such gigantic corporations as the American Book Company, Ginn & 
Company, and others strolhng around. We are impressed with the thought 
that there is good money to any book company in getting new books into 
the schools. No wonder that the American Book Company can send their 
agents here who are traveling on big salaries and living on the fat of the 
land. 

From what we see as stated above it looks as though there might be 
some combination between the birds of prey to try to bring a big expense 
upon the people of Findlay. 

We may pa_v, as we previously stated, the fiddler, but we'll see that other 
people dance later on. God pity everybody in connection with this affair 
when it comes to settle this matter at the polls this fall. It is an old but 
true adage; "It is a long lane that has no turning." 

As we have said we have heard from the people how they feel but we 
have not heard from the superintendent and the board of education. Do 
they think that they can sit calmly by and go to the board meetings and 
listen to Supt. Smith recommend a change of books if he is so inclined. 
Of course they can, but will they ? To be sure the members of the board 
have implicit confidence in Mr. Smith. They don't doubt his sincerity. 

Why should they? He has the face that wins confidence. But don't 
be too sure of your man. You know him. He carries behind his calm 
exterior a furtile* brain. He wants to make changes. He believes that it 
is a good move. He tries to convince himself that some of our books are 
out of date. We strongly believe that that suggestion was given to him 
by some of the book agent friends. If he has not some such motive, why 
does he keep so still ? The board members tell us that Smith says, "Oh, I 
don't know what I am going to do." Well if you don't know what you are 
going to do, God pity you and the poor people of Findlay. You will be 
ready in due time to say what you are going to do, and we'll say what we 
are going to do. And the good people of Findlay will say, "and woe be 
unto them that try to do it hurt." 

Smith was not reticent about the proposed changes of teachers or 
about the remodeling of building, or the taking of music out of our 
schools. He talked freely with the men about town upon these things. 
Why does he not say something about text-books. 

We ask the members of the board this question: "Are you going to 
vote for any book change ?" We get the reply Supt. Smith has not made 
up hif mind yet and similar replies. 

Remember members of the school board, you are elected by the voters 
in your wards to represent them, their wives, and their children in all that 
pertains to the welfare of the schools. 

It is up to you to decide what to do on the book question. Of course 
you may say : "We don't know anything about the books." 

We must put this question up to our superintendent. That is all right 
so far as it goes. But it is up to you gentlemen, not Supt. Smith. You are 
the ones who will have to bear the hue and cry of a disgruntled populace. 
You live in this city, your homes are here. If he makes a mistake and 
thus shows his inability to handle the schools of Findlay properly he can 
be gotten rid of. We can find another man to take his place. We feel con- 
fident that there are many men who can and who would be willing to run 
the schools of our city in an acceptable manner to the citizens. And we'll 
have that man too if things go too far. Don't think, Mr. Smith, that be- 
cause the present Board of Education is for you, it will always be so. 
They are for you now because they have confidence in you. You have 

*Thls reproduction is verbatim, including mis-spelling. 



74 ■ XEJVS AND EDITORIAL, PUBLIC PRESS 

shown your attitude toward the town by taking added burdens upon your- 
self and thus lessened the expense. That is very well, and good. We 
applaud your noble and generous nature. 

Mr. Board ^Member have you asked your neighbors how they feel 
about the change in books? Do the people in your district want any 
changes ? What do they say ? Come out and let us know. We would be 
the first to confess our mistake if we have sized up the situation erron- 
eously. 



A Democrat is lacking in loyalty to his party and his own town when 
he refuses to run for an office which affects his own and his neighbor's 
interests. The school board will make changes in the books tonight which 
will add burdens to the parents. This action should defeat many Republi- 
can candidates for school board this fall and to do it the Democrats should 
select their candidates at once and get out the petitions. To neglect this 
is disloyalty to your town. The school board has been Republican for 
years and today it is the poorest managed and the most expensive post of 
the municipal affairs. The women of Findlay should take an interest in 
this question. 

CHICAGO DAILY JOURNAL 
February 24, 1909 

WHY NOT TEXT-BOOKS ? 

Nearly 1,000 school superintendents are attending the meeting of the 
department of superintendence of the National Educational association, 
which is now in session in this city. 

During their stay they will listen to fully 100 papers and discussions 
covering every phase of school work except — text-books. 

Why this exception? 

High prices of texts are a vital issue in nearly every school district in 
the United States. Book scandals are occupying the attention of legisla- 
tors and school officials in half a dozen states. 

Superintendents could perform no more valuable service to the schools 
than to grapple with this problem and aid in its solution. 

THE CHICAGO DAILY TRIBUNE 
Friday, September 13, 1912 

SCHOOL BOARD SQUELCHES TOO BUSY BOOK AGENT 

Not satisfied with two reversals in his attacks on Mrs. Ella Flagg 
Young superintendent of schools, James T. Guffin, investigator for the 
allied printing trades and understood to be agent for a book publishing 
house, came to the school management committee for further action. He 
got it, but not where he wanted it. 

Guffin opposed the selection of several thousand copies of Howe's read- 
ers for use in the Chicago schools and tried to have other books selected. 
He went to Mrs. Young and sought the selection of the books he favored. 
Mrs. Young told him briefly she had named fifteen advisers, chosen from 
teachers and principals, to select the books. Guffin was disappointed and 
showed it. He is understood to have threatened to "get Mrs. Young's 
job." 

Then the advisers reported in favor of the Howe readers and recom- 



CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR'S REBUFF 7S 

mendations were forwarded to the board. Guffin spoke to members of the 
board. .The members promptly voted against him and the Howe books 
were ordered. 

Guffin next wrote to Dr. McFatrich, president of the board, who told 
him he might tell his troubles to the school management committee. Guiifin 
attended the meeting, sitting at one end of the conference table. At the 
other end sat Harry W. Shroyer, the successful agent, smiling. 

"It was understood the books were to be union bound," began Guffin. 
"1 claim they were not, and by secret committee meetings that Mrs. Young- 
was imposed " 

"If you mean that remark that Mrs. Young has been duped I have a 
few remarks myself," interrupted John C. Harding, secretary of Typo- 
graphical union No. 16 and member of the school board. "I'll start by 
saying that I consider Mrs. Young thoroughly efficient." 

All of the foregoing article is untrue down to and including "get 
Mrs. Young's job," except "two reversals" and "James T. Quffin, in= 
vestigator for the allied printing trades," for the reason that I was 
not a book agent, as alluded to, nor have I had any conversation 
with Mrs. Young concerning school books within the past five years. 

I appeared as spokesman on both occasions for and with the 
committee authorized by the Chicago Federation of Labor. One of 
the "two reversals" referred to, was in the shape of a denial of a 
hearing which was ignored. Why should a committee of the Chicago 
Board of Education deny or ignore at any time a committee from 
the Chicago Federation of Labor? 

It may interest the public to know that Charles Scribner's Sons, 
publishers of the Howe readers, had many inches of advertising 
space devoted to their magazine and line of fiction books in the Chi= 
cago Daily Tribune during the months of November and December, 
1912, and other years preceding. 

In connection with the above, it may interest some people to 
know that among the first Dunne appointees on the Chicago Board 
of Education was Dr. Cornelia B. DeBey. Dr. DeBey was told by 
Mr. Noyes, then in a managerial capacity on the Record=Herald, 
that she must not touch Cooley, (E. Q.), or the books. Think of it! 
Here is a public official, appointed to serve the people, being given 
instructions by a newspaper manager. Of course the good doctor 
did not understand and, being a woman, proceeded to do what she 
had been told by Mr. Noyes she must not. 

The result was that column after column appeared in the news= 
papers attempting to discredit the school board's actions and reflect^ 
ing on the appointments of the then mayor, (now governor), Dunne. 
These attacks were continued and in no small way aided in the de= 
feat of the mayor for re=election. 

All of this was naturally more or less of a mystery to those most 
interested who were hostile to the "big business" administration of 
school affairs in Chicago. Supt. Cooley's recommendation on read= 
ers was shelved by the school board after his having endorsed the 
MacMillan books. The only explanation that could be given was 
the school board leases, until it was discovered that during the 
months of November and December each year many columns of 
holiday book advertising were used by MacMillian & Company and 
other Eastern publishers. 

What show has MERIT, if it chances to lie with a publishing 
house that does not have holiday books to advertise, against this 
"you tickle me and I'll tickle you" business? 



76 NEWS AND EDITORIAL, PUBLIC PRESS 

DETROIT JOURNAL 
February 25, 1913 

MR. PATTENGILL RAISES A QUESTION ' 

Henry R. Pattengill of Lansing has refused to run for regent of the 
university on the Progressive ticket because the Battle Creek- platform in- 
dorses a uniform text-book plan for Michigan schools. 

The Progressive party thus loses the strongest and best known nomi- 
nee on its ticket for the sake of a vicious and uncalled-for piece of sum- 
mary legislation. 

There is something very queer about this agitation for a uniform text- 
book law at this time, and perhaps the Pattengill incident will bring out 
the hidden facts. 

Nobody of any consec|uence who is interested in legislation wants this 
lavy. 

Mr. Pattengill opposes it, and he was for years our superintendent of 
public instruction. 

Superintendent of Public Instruction Wright is opposed to it. 

The school authorities of the big cities are opposed to it because it in- 
terferes with their independence. 

The school authorities of the small towns and farming communities 
oppose it because it will mean the domination of city text-books over 
country needs and preferences. 

There is not a state educator of established reputation who has joined 
in the movement for a uniform text-book law. Our teachers seem to agree 
with Mr. Pattengill's words : 

"Uniformity in text-books is a decadent, waning and exceedingly 
vicious method." 

Despite this solid front of big and little educators there is a determined 
-efifort at Lansing to force this legislation on an unwilling state. Despite 
the declaration of the foremost educator in the Progressive party that the 
system is anything but Progressive, a plank declaring for it is forced into 
the third-party platform. 

All this is very odd, and it seems odder as the undesirable features of 
the plan are studied. 

Uniformity in text-books would require the creation of a central board 
with more power than any board could justly discharge. Temptations tQ 
•dishonesty would be innumerable and carelessness or incompetence would 
he almost as calamitous. 

Any mistake would be fatal to several years of the school life of our 
children. It would affect the education of every boy and girl in the state. 
It would hamper a generation of young people. 

The political and populationary influence of the big cities would sweep 
the country towns aside in the choice of text-books, and the majority of 
the state's children would be studying books not fitted for them or selected 
ty their teachers. 

What is the motive behind a legislative proposal that cripples a new 
party, that arouses all the teachers'" of the state to protest, that steals the 
time of a legislature away from wise laws and profitable discussions ? Who 
is responsible for this waste of our time and attention and the thought of 
■our public men, and what are their motives? 

NOTE: — It will be observed that in the seventh paragraph 
UNIFORMITY is said to "interfere with . . . independence" of the 
cities, while in next to the last paragraph it is alleged that "the big 
cities would sweep the country towns aside," etc. Somewhat pari= 
doxical? "Any old port in a storm." 



BULL MOOSE LOCKING HORNS 77 

DETROIT JOURNAL 
February 26, 1913. 

MOOSERS KICKING PLATFORM DOWN 



Winegar Votes Against Suffrage and Curts Denounces 
Uniform Text-books 



LANSING, Mich., Feb. 26.— Staff Special.— Bull Moose legislators 
are showing symptoms daily of refusing to be held to everything the plat- 
form of their party enunciates. It was Senator Gittins' protest over the 
uniform text-books plank in the Battle Creek platform last we^ that 
.started a storm in the convention, which then affirmed uniform text-books^ 
but named Prof. Pattengill of Lansing, a foremost opponent of this 
scheme, for regent. 

"I don't blame Pattengill for refusing to stay on the ticket," remarked 
"Ed" Curts, Flint Bull Mooser. "He does not believe in uniform text- 
books and neither do I. When the matter comes up in the senate I will- 
vote against it. I don't believe in a man voting for something that he is 
satisfied in his own mind should not pass. For that reason I admire Sen- 
ator Winegar for voting against suffrage yesterday, for he would have 
been voting against his own beliefs if he had been counted for it." 

THE STATE JOURNAL 

LANSING, MICHIGAN 

(Thursday, February 27, 1913.) 
Who Pays the Fiddler ? 

It is expected that the uniform text-book bill, presented in the lozuer 
house of the legislature imll be reported out today by the committee. 

Inasmuch as this action means that the bill is before the house for de- 
bate it is pertinent to ask a fezsj questions which throw minor lights upon 
the -measure. 

The advocates of the uniform text-book plan claim that their measure 
zvill shake off the grasp of the book trust in this state. If that is true it 
naturally folloivs that the book trusts zvill oppose the measure. 

Yet a Mr. GufRn, who was openly connected with Chicago text-book 
interests a few years ago, and ivho zvas present at the legislative session 
two years ago zvorking in behalf of uniform text-books, has taken quarters 
in a local hotel, has employed a press agent and is again actk'e about the 
capital building. 

Again : a thirty-nine page booklet containing zvhat is purported to be 
the unabridged report of the debate between Senator Straight and H. R. 
Pattengill on uniform te.vt-books, and sent out over the signature of Mr. 
Straight is being freely circulated. 

Mr. Straight fathered a uniform text-book bill tzuo years ago. He has 
introduced another during the present term. The purpose of the pamphlet 
is to place his arguments for uniform text-books before the members of 
the legislature. Is Mr. Straight paying for these booklets? If not, then 
zvho is? 

Proverbs, XII: 19, 20, 21. . 

Any reader having progressed thus far in this text will find him= 
self already in possession of facts which thoroughly and completely 
refute the slurring implication contained in the above editorial. 



78^ NEWS AND EDITORIAL, PUBLIC PRESS 

\ 

Battle Creek, Mich, March 24, 1913. 
Mr. J. T. Guffin, 

Chicago, 111. 
Dear Sir: — The Straight-Pattengill debates were printed for Senator 
Straight, by his order, billed to him, and shipped or delivered according 
to his instructions. 

Yours truly, 

Gillett-Farra Printing Co., 

W. B. Gillett. 

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS 
Saturday, March 8, 1913 

SOME USEFUL FACTS 

Say ! Do 3'ou know how many school children there are in the United 
States ? Listen : There are 25,000,000 of them. Do you know how many 
of them go to school — some of them to wretched little unhealthy hovels 
unfit to house swine? Just 18.000,000 of them. That leaves 5,000,000 
who don't go to any school at all. Some are kept away by poverty, some 
by illness, and some by vile, muddy, disgraceful roads. There you are — 
in these few sentences you have material enough to keep you talking for 
the next decade, material enough for another Dickens to use in a series of 
novels and for another Plimsoll to use in a crusade — haven't you? And 
what use will you make of it ? 

Organized labor is supporting laws that will eliminate such con= 
ditions. 

LANSING EVENING PRESS 
Wednesday, March 12, 1913 

PROGRESSIVE COMMITTEEMAN 

SAYS SOME SHARP THINGS 



W. S. Kellogg Gives Version of Why Platform Favors Uniform 

Text-Books and H. R. Pattengill Was Nominated for 

Regent of University. 



The question of whether H. R. Pattengill said he would run or would 
not, and whether the national Progressive platform ought to be revised to 
suit the principles of Mr. Pattengill has caused considerable debate. In 
a communication to the Lansing Press, W. S. Kellogg, member of the 
state central committee and recently a candidate for congress says : — 
Editor Evening Press : — 

I have hesitated to participate in the controversy that is being waged 
over the nomination of Hon. H. R. Pattengill for regent of the university 
by the recent convention of the national progressive party and his declin- 
ation of that honor, because I have felt that the dispute has been brought 
about by the desire of certain local interests to discredit and weaken the 
party; but inasmuch as my name has been used in the matter, and espe- 
cially in view of the fact that many assertions have been made that have 
no foundation in fact, I have thought best to make a statement for the 
benefit of the progressive party members who have had no opportunity to 
learn the truth. 

Mr. Pattengill asserts that the uniform text-book plank was foisted 
upon the progressive convention bv a demagogue, referring to Sybrant 



BULL MOOSE LOCKING HORNS 79 

Wesselius of Grand Rapids, intimating that the convention itself had noth- 
ing to do in the matter of declaring its platform. Had Mr. Pattengill been 
present when the vote was taken he would have discovered just what pro- 
portion of the progressive party was ''foisting the brazen effrontery on the 
convention." 

The progressive party is definitely committeed to the uniform text- 
book policy. The responsibility for this policy rests not upon Mr. Wes- 
selius, but upon others who make no claim to the title of demagogue. The 
plank adopted at Battle Creek is but a reiteration of the one adopted at 
the Lansing convention on October 1, and which was a part of the pro- 
gressive program during the recent campaign. The first plank was drawn 
originally by Judge D. S. Frackleton of Fenton and submitted to me early 
in Septeriiber of last year. I carefully revised the draft and eliminated 
several features, notably one which provided for utilizing prison labor in 
the publication of the books of the state. The draft was adopted by the 
committee and submitted to the convention without alteration and became 
a plank in the platform. 

There never has been an inclination to "bulldoze" or "insult" the teach- 
ers of the state in the propaganda for uniform text-books ; nor have I been 
able to discover the much-touted "syndicate of publishers who are financ- 
ing the uniformity propaganda." I have discovered a small army of book 
agents hurrying about the state trying to head off the movement. At 
least two of these agents solicited my support for their candidacy for the 
nomination for the office of the member of the state board of education, 
and one of them had been one of our presidential electors, 

I claim a large share of the responsibility of shaping the party's atti- 
tude in the matter of text-book legislation, but I resent any imputation of 
being actuated by ulterior motives. My views are the result of many 
years' observation of the workings of the system in vogue in Michigan 
and comparing the quahty and price of the books we use here with those 
of Canada, for instance, which have been uniform throughout the pro- 
vinces for 40 years. My sincere conviction is that the state is committing 
an egregious crime toward the rising generation in leaving the selection 
of text-books to incompetent authorities. The average school board has 
no more business determining the books to be used in the schools than it 
would have in picking the course of study for medical or legal students. 
The Lansing board of education is composed of better men than make up 
the average school board, and yet not three of them are competent judges 
of text-books. n 

The present system leaves the helpless user of books to the incompe- 
tence of board members modified by the wiles of petty grafting book 
agents ; state uniformity would give every rural district the benefit of the 
ripe judgment of a commission of experts. I maintain that the rural 
pupils are entitled to a square deal in the matter of equipment ; now they 
are being double-crossed at every stage of the game and the book trust is 
reaping a golden harvest at the expense of what should be the children's 
birthright. 

As to Mr. Pattengill's nomination on the progressive ticket, I opposed 
it because I foresaw that local interests who are. associated with him in the 
book publishing business would lose no time in putting him on record for 
the double purpose of weakening the progressive ticket by forcing his 
withdrawal and also of saving their portion of the school book harvest by 
attempting to head off the coming emancipation from the grafting of the 
book combine. This phase of the matter was fully discussed by the Ing- 
ham county delegates and the consensus of opinion was that Mr. Patten- 
gill would strengthen the ticket if he would run, but he had given no as- 



80 NEWS AND EDITORIAL, PUBLIC PRESS 

surance to any of us that he was a candidate. Whether or not he had an 
agreement with Mr. Hollbeck exchisivel}' that he would accept the nomi- 
nation if offered to him, I protest that he had no right to expect that the 
national progressive party would change its principles to fit the views of 
any one man. Knowing that he was being considered for a place on the 
ticket and that Ingham county would support him for any position that he 
desired, a courteous course would have been for Mr. Pattengill tohave 
written a letter to the officers of the county committee stating his attitude. 
Thus he would have saved the delegates an embarrasing situation and 
himself much unwelcome publicity. 

W. S. Kellogg 

THE DETROIT FREE PRESS 
Friday, March 14, 1913 

A Blow at Liberty 

It is evident that the federal constitution has no terrors for the people 
behind the uniform text-book law now pending in Lansing. This bill is 
going to settle the text-book problem for the state by taking home rule 
away from the voters in the matter of selecting the volumes their chil- 
children shall study, but is also going to settle'any persons who may dare 
to dispute the judgment or methods of the commission to whom this im- 
portant work is to be committed. 

Representative Straight, who proudly avers that he is the parent of the 
text-book bill, 'admits that if it stands as drafted newspapers will be pro- 
hibited from commenting upon the character of the books selected for 
use. But there was no necessity for this admission. A section of the bill 
speaks for itself and reads thus : — ■ 

"Any publisher, firm or corporation, or agent of such pub- 
lisher, person, firm or corporation, who shall connive or seek to 
discredit any book or books,* adopted under the provisions of this 
act before the expiration of the contract made, shall be guilty of 
a misdemeanor, and upon conviction shall be fined not less than 
$100 and not more than $1,000 for each offense." 

Talk about conspiracy in restraint of trade, talk about restricting the 
freedom of the press ! Perhaps the Straight bill isn't trotting a hot pace 
in these directions. 

But you say, "Bah, if the law is unconstitutional the courts will over- 
turn it." 

Are you sure of that? The text-book bill is not the only bill now pend- 
ing before the legislature. There is, for instance, a measure which prac- 
tically provides for the recall of judges, the recall feature, like the re- 
strictive clause in the text-book bill, being in the nature of a joker. 

If this state continues in the way it is going, if the legislature follows 
the precedent it set in the Verdier bill, the constitution will afford scant 
protection to any one. Only the will of a tyrannical majority will prevail. 
The minority will no longer have rights. 

■ Assume that the Straight bill passes unamended, assume that the re- 
call of judges also goes through — and stranger things than these may 
happen — the supreme court may then declare the attack upon the freedom 
of speech and of the press unconstitutional, but its decision will amount 
to nothing. The majority will immediately recall the upright judges and 
substitute others. 

Measures such as these we cite are iniquitous far beyond their imme- _ 

*The words, -43y false statements",' were inserted at this point or after the 
word "discredit." 



BULL MOOSE LOCKING HORNS 81 

diate effect in any given case. They set precedents which permit the in- 
troduction of intolerable and continuing abuse. Laws of this sort are a 
part of the new "progressivism," which after all is only reversion to the 
tyranny of an unhampered majority and the trampling under foot of all 
the rights of the minority. 

It is the old policy of the Puritans over again, liberty for ourselves but 
no tolerance for the dissenter. 

We hope that the objectionable clause in the text -book bill will be 
killed, not so much because it is unconstitutional and opens wide the door 
for graft, but more because under the present order of things there is no 
longer any guarantee that the constitution will be able to protect against 
the oppression of arbitrary majority rule, sometimes characterized in un- 
conscious but ghastly satire as "the rule of the people." 

The minority in this country has only a "Chinaman's chance" 
and that is to abide by the will of the majority. 

DETROIT JOURNAL 
March 21, 1913 

BULL MOOSE GO 

TO POLLS SPLIT 



Uniform Text-Book Fight is Rock 
That Has Shattered Cam- 
paign. 



Seven of Ten Progressives Vote 

Against Bill Despite Platform 

— Wesselius' Labor in Vain. 



LANSING, March 21.— The uniform text-book bill without a doubt 
is beaten in the house of representatives. 

The vote on its passage in third reading was 42 to 42, nine short of 
the necessary 51 to pass, and on the motion of Rep. Dunn, the author of 
the original Dunn bill, which was joined with the Young bill and known 
as the Dunn-Young substitute, it was placed on the table, the house 
morgue for "dead" legislation. 

It is very doubtful if the friends of the bill can muster up enough sup- 
port to bring it before the house for further consideration. 

The discussions were spirited and lasted for nearly an hour. Reps. 
Charles H. McBride and Warner, Republicans, took a strong stand 
against it, aS' did Rep. J. N. McBride, Progressive, and Rep. Fitzgerald, 
Democrat. 

In the vote party lines were not followed. Although the Progress- 
ives at the state convention held in Battle Creek indorsed uniform text- 
books in their platform, seven of the ten Progressives present voted 
against the bill. 

These seven followed the lead of Henry R. Pattengill, who refused 
to accept the nomination for regent of the university on the Progressive 
state ticket because of his antipathy to uniform text-books, and it is very, 
evident this is the rock over which the Progressives have split in this 
spring's campaign. 

Sybrant Wesselius, who was responsible for the insertion of the uni- 
form text-book plank, was in the capital, exerting his influences to have 
all the Progressives stand pat on the bill. 

Gradually sentiment against uniform text-books has been gathering. 



82 WANTED (Poem, J. G. Holland) 

When the session first opened it was said that fully 70 members in the 
house favored the bill. And, now that nine votes are lacking to put it 
through, there is no likelihood that the bill will pass, with the sentiment 
still dwindling. 

It requires a majority vote to take it from the table and 51 to pass it 
on third reading, and the opponents claim today that they have uniform 
text-books smothered for the balance of this session. 

The PHYSICAL condition of the school child cannot be changed 
by law, but his MENTAL equipment is in the hands of the state and 
it is scarcely conceivable that any thinking man can read the here= 
with pages and fail to conclude that the educational progress of the 
Nation depends entirely on the action of our legislatures. 



WANTED 

(A Sonnet) 

God give us men! A time like this demands 

Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands; 

Men whom the lust of office does not kill; 

Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy; ~ 
Men who posses opinions and a will; 

Men who have honor, — men who will not lie; 
Men who can stand before a demagogue, 

And damn his treacherous flatteries without winking ! 
Tall men, sun=crowned, who live above the fog 

In public duty, and in private thinking: 
For while the rabble, with their thumb=worn creeds, 
Their large professions, and their little deeds, — 
Mingle in selfish strife, lo! Freedom weeps. 
Wrong rules the land, and waiting Justice sleeps! 

—J. Q. Holland 
(Timothy Titcomb.) 



To anticipate any possible criticism of repetition of ideas in these 
pages we might suggest that such repetition has sanction in the 
Decalogue when Moses thought it advisable to reprint his ten cardi= 
nal mandates in the fifth chapter of Deuteronomy after having set 
them down in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. 



LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY 
AND ECONOMY 

Opposed by those who Do Not Understand 

Taken from Chicago Allied Printing Trades' Council "Monthly 
Review/' May, 1910: — 

The continual nightmare that haunts every waking as well as sleeping 
moment of the almost disheartened wage-earner of the present period, is 
the ever upward trend of prices, and these fancy figures are by no means 
confined to such absolute necessities as food, clothes and shelter, but em- 
brace many other commodities that cannot be strictly classed as luxuries. 
The bachelor's problem of how to make both ends meet, while serious in 
nature, pales into utter insignificance beside the task that confronts the 
benedict whose increasing family brings woe instead of joy in its train, 
as each additional little body calls for. care and nourishment, not forgetting 
that when the inevitable storms of infantile ills have been .successfully 
weathered the expanding child-mind clamors for attention and all these 
things demand money and plenty of it. These numerous drains upon a 
naturally slim purse, that is first to feel the effects of every panic and last 
to be spattered by even tha spray from the wave of prosperity, spells, 
poverty with its attendant misery. Logically the humane father and 
mother, actuated by the parental instinct, feeling it a sacred duty to 
shield their progeny from privation and sorrow, realizing that the cold, 
calculating and parsimonious characteristics of their industrial masters 
will deny them sufficient funds to meet their actual needs, losing sight of 
their many wants, justifies them in their determination to evade parental 
responsibilities when existing conditions render individualistic existence 
an unsolvable puzzle. 

The possessors of swollen fortunes preached economy as the road to 
wealth and independence, but offered no remedy for an escape from a de- 
pendent condition of industrial servitude that scarcely brought in suffi- 
cient revenue to keep body and soul together, much less providing time, 
food or funds for ambitious aspirations. Early in his industrial career the 
profound hopelessness of individual efforts at trade and wage betterment 
was forced upon the worker, under the sharp lash of denial. "Necessity 
the mother of invention," showed him the way, through UNION with his 
fellow-workers. This combination was immediately outlawed and per- 
secuted in the hope of bringing about fts destruction, but as truth, though 
crushed to the earth, is said to rise again and again, so TRADES UNION- 
ISM thrived on opposition and nobly fulfilled its mission of progressive 
INDUSTRIAL EDUCATION, gradually acquiring at least a portion, 
if not ail labor's just dues so long withheld from it by the avaricious and 
grasping employer. But while self-interest was the primal impulse that 
gave birth to organized labor, it did not constitute the sole principle or 
actuating motive of trades' unionism, for as experience brought wisdom it 
clearly demonstrated that recourse to strikes was an unwise proceeding, 
save as a measure of last resort, organized labor urged and adopted con- 
ciliation and arbitration as a logical means to the settlement of indus- 
trial controversies. 

With the history of the American colonists to guide them, trades union- 
ists believed themselves privileged to boycott any manufactured products 
created under unfair conditions, and firm in their faith in the supposed 

[83] 



84 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

constitutional guarantee of their right to freedom of action and the pursuit 
of happiness, org-anized labor and its friends thus voiced its sentiments 
until enjoined by court order from so doing. Then in order that the world 
might be able to readily distinguish the product of the trades-unionists, 
whose joint labors have been conceded to be a most important factor in 
the advancement of civilization, the UNION LABEL was unfurled to the 
breeze and under that banner the work of the emancipation of the toilers 
was carried onward. With the advent of better wages and shorter hours, 
the need for physical health and safety reeived attention. Then the per- 
nicious system of overworked and underpaid women and child labor was 
attacked and through the uncompromising attitude of organized labor on 
all questions affecting the general welfare of the community, capital made 
a virtue of necessity and sullenly submitted to the inauguration of ACT- 
UAL, not pretended, civilization though capital's resentment is, has been, 
and always will be made manifest on every possible occasion and through 
■every possible medium. Lideed, its boldness has prompted even a claimed 
subsidized public press to reluctantly charge wholesale bribery of govern- 
mental representatives and officials, admit the enactment of farcial and 
•distinctly class legislation, speak of judicial decisions as a travesty on 
justice, and acknowledge that even our boasted public school system had 
"been dragged into the mire by modern legalized methods of robbery, 
•courteously termed BUSINESS ETHICS. And who is the greatest suf- 
ferer from these admitted evils, especially the latter one, if it is not the 
toiler, for poverty stricken, though his lot may be, hard though the 
■struggle for individual existence is, we find that the average adult 
worker is usually the head of a family and therefore the largest patron of 
the public schools, especially in the commercial and manufacturing cen- 
ters throughout the United States. 

Merit should be the deciding factor in the selecting of books rather 
than price ; for a cheap price means cheap work ; cheap work means cheap 
men ; cheap men mean cheap homes ; cheap homes mean a cheap com- 
munity and a cheap community is incapable of creating or maintaining a 
rich or powerful nation. Competition at one time was said to be the life 
'of trade, but imder modern trust methods what passes current for com- 
petition is merely business murder, intended to clear the trust path of 
aggressive rivals, the cost of whose removal will be added to the selling 
price of the goods to the consumer after competition has ceased to be an 
actuality. Therefore MERIT should rule and not price, as the school child 
should have the best at any cost, especially the child of the laboring man 
who has little else to give except an education ; besides in spite of their 
vaunted cheapness, books to the man compelled to try to stretch a penny 
to a nickel value, represent a luxury and in such homes the children's 
school books usually constitute the only library the parents can claim as 
their own. 

Taken from Chicago Allied Printing Trades' Council "Monthly 
Heview," August, 1910. 

It will be necessary for me to call attention to what constitutes the 
-great educational body who are the important factors in the selection of 
our school books. These constitute, first, the teachers, principals and 
superintendents. Second the school boards, committees and officers who 
are selected under the various laws of the several states for the purpose 
of carrying on the schools. 

Concerning the first class, the}' enter the teaching profession for the 
most part, coming directly from our high schools, normal schools, col- 



ORGANIZED LABOR'S REASONS 85 

leges, etc. After teaching a few years, those who do not leave the work 
to go into other lines of employment, become principals and superintend- 
ents of schools in the rural towns and cities on account of the increased 
remuneration they find in these higher positions. Some continue in the 
teaching profession and make it a life work. Concerning the second class 
in the case of school boards, we have the direct responsibility of main- 
taining the conduct of the school or schools under their authority which 
includes the building of buildings, the employment of teachers, principals 
and superintendents, under the state laws governing same. 

School boards are either appointed, or elected by the voters, and usually 
hold office from one to six years, and the election or appointment is gen- 
erally made so that the terms of office of school board members do not all 
expire at the same time. Thus it will be seen that while the people of 
the first class are in the teaching profession for a number of years, the 
school boards are constantly changing in their personnel, and while a 
teacher may not be in a position more than from one year up, they possibly 
may be in other positions in the same line of work for a lifetime. 

The reader will naturally see from the foregoing, where the bane of 
politics, which is so much decried by the public at large, creeps in. For 
you hear everywhere among the citizens and teachers, "Keep politics out 
of the schools," meaning Democratic, Republican, Socialistic, etc., but it 
is safe to say that there is plenty of politics in our school systems of 
different kinds, and one has to but scratch the surface to discover it, and 
it has been said that the school book publishing houses play no small part 
in the workings of this latter kind of politics mentioned. 

Let us see how this matter works in practice. Say we have a superin- 
tendent at the head of a school system who is friendly to one publishing 
house by virtue of having applied for the position which he now holds by 
reason of having been informed by the representative of some publishing 
house at the time a new superintendent was about to be selected. The 
agent who is sent out by the house because he knows his business ap- 
proaches the members of the school board something in this wise : 'T 
suppose, in the matter of selection of school books, you will leave the 
matter largely to the superintendent. Not being in active school work 
yourself, you recognize him as the educational expert in whose judgment 
you will rely." The school board member will reply something in this 
manner : "Oh, yes ; I don't know anything about school books ; that's his 
business. That's what we hire him for. We have enough other matters 
to worry about in the conduct of our schools without bothering ourselves 
as to the methods to be pursued." This report is immediately carried back 
to the superintendent and he learns, as well as the agent, that anything he 
recommends will be prescribed by the school board and must of necessity 
be purchased by the school children. 

The foregoing excerpts outline, in. a measure, the reasons why 
organized labor has taken up the interests of the people and has be= 
come active through an authorized representative, for the betterment 
of the school systems in which the children of its membership find 
themselves throughout the United States. 

. After a superficial investigation they based their line of action on 
the following: — We shall use all honorable means to further such 
laws in the interest of all the people to secure a more efficient school 
system at a reduced cost to the public for the reason that an educa= 
tion is the most that we can hope to give to our children, as it is not 
possible for us to accumulate fortunes. 

In accord with this, the following credential was issued: — 



86 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

WM. P. MORAN, WM. J. BOENER, OTTO P. WASEM, PATRICK J. POLEY, 
President Vice Pres. Sec.-Treas. Sergt.-at-Arms. 

CHICAGO 
ALLIED PRINTING TRADES' COUNCIL 

ehicago. 111., Jan. 16, 1911. 
TO V?HOM IT MAY eONGERN:-- 

Thig will introduce Mr. Jamea T. Guff in, 
vlio is laboring in the text-book field in 
the interests of organized labor, especially 
the printing industry. Any favors shown him 
in this work will be appreciated by the un- 
dersigned. 

L. P. STRAUBE, 
SEAL See'y 0. A. P. T. C. 



CHICAGO ALLIED PRINTING 

TRADES' COUNCIL 

Room 516 - 275 La Salle Street 

Chicago, 111., May 5, 1911. 
Honorable John S. Donald,* 
Chairman Committee on Education, 
Senate Chamber, Madison, Wis. 

My Dear Mr. Donald: — Our mutual interest on a question of such 
vital importance to the State and Nation as the matter of legislation in the 
Educational field prompts me to assume the liberty of addressing you on 
a matter of common interest. 

Our Mr. Guffin writes me that the question has been raised concerning 
whom he represents, how long he has been engaged in the Labor Move- 
ment and other questions of a like nature that would suggest themselves 
to those desirous of securing authentic information on such subjects. Jus- 
tice to Mr. Guffin prompts the following presentation of actual facts in the 
premises. The gentleman in question first becaume acquainted with the 
members of the Chicago Allied Printing Trades' Council in the winter of 
1905 and 1906 in an effort to secure the recognition of Labor's rights in 
the printing industry and the bringing together of the Publisher, Manu- 
facturer and Trades' Unionist. He left the emplo)'ment of Longmans, 
Green & Co., August 1st, 1909, and shortly after took up the question with 
the undersigned, of the School Book Combine and has been actively en- 
gaged in this work and in fact has devoted his whole time to the cause of 
Organized Labor ever since. In all the years that I have known Mr. Guf- 
fin, I have found him straightforward, truthful and square. To make use 
of a Rooseveltian expression, he has proven to be as clean as a hound's 
tooth. Both his knowledge and work conclusively prove him to be an 
authority on school books and school book legislation; the equal of any 
and the peer of many, even among the best and brightest employed by the 
school book trust. Organized Labor, in furtherance of the ethics and prin- 
ciples governing and underl)ang the trades' union cause, is taking up the 
cudgels in defence of the people's rights in the matter of education and 

*Senator Donald was elected Secretary of State at the last election and was 
a member of the Wisconsin Text-book Investigating Committee. 



REASONS WISCONSIN INVESTIGATION 87 

we await Mr. Guffin's report on ability of the fair State of Wisconsin to 
purge itself from the pernicious activity of the notorious Book Trust and 
its agents. Any further information that you may desire and that is 
within the scope of my ability to aid )'0U in securing, may be had for the 
asking. 

Thanking you for the interest that I understand you are taking in this 
matter of common interest, I await your reply, and subscribe myself, 
Very truly yours, 

(Signed) L. P. Straube. 

Secy. C. A. P. T. C. 

A copy of the foregoing letter, together with the following, was sent 
to every member of the Wisconsin General Assembly at its 1911 session. 

Avenue Hotel, 
Madison, Wis., 
June 12, 1911. 

Dear Sir: — I enclose copy of letter sent to Senator John S. Donald, 
for the- purpose of correcting reports that have been falsely circulated. 

Labor demands a living wage, that it may feed, clothe and educate its 
children and in the matter of school text-books it demands the best from 
whatever source and that the price cannot be too cheap. 

I call to your attention that 790A was unanimously recommended for 
passage by the committee and hastily "slaughtered" to the interest of the 
"book trust" showing conclusively that some have been misinformed and 
do not understand the bill, as there is not a line in said bill that is not in 
the interest of all the people 3'ou represent whose children may be attend- 
ing any private, parochial or public schools within this state. 

It shall be my duty as a representative of Organized Labor to call the 
attention of the members of labor unions, Wisconsin Society of Equity, 
and other civic bodies in this state to the methods employed by the book 
agents and school superintendents to hoodwink the school boards ; the 
last named being servants of the people, not the "book trust." The people 
are the ones upon whom fall the continued high prices and use of inferior 
books. 

Shall be pleased to present }'0U with evidence substantiating all my 
assertions if given an opportunity. 

Yours truly, 

James T. Guffin 

After the defeat of the bill mentioned in the foregoing letter, the 
legislature appointed a committee to investigate the matter with an 
appropriation of $5,000. I was told by one of the newspaper men 
that I went against one of the best trained and organized lobbies in 
the world, which consisted of book=agents traveling over the state 
and among the school superintendents who, in turn, used their influ^ 
ence with members of the school boards and the legislature, and so 
well did they have the votes counted that one agent asked me, after 
the vote was had, how it was that a certain member voted for the 
bill, as they had him down as with them. 

In the month of January, 1912, Mr. Guffin was before the Wisconsin 
Text-Book Investigating Committee and was interrogated under oath 
as follows : — 

MR MAHON :— 

Q. Mr. Guffin, what is your business? 



88 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

A. I am, 3'ou might say, an investigator, or interested in presenting 
the claims of organized labor on the text-book situation. 

Q. You ma}' state whether or not you are employed at the present 
time by any school book company ? 

A. I am not. 

O. Or company manufacturing, or selling text-books ? 

A. No, sir. 

MR. PERRY :— 

Q. Mr. Guffin, I understand there has been some suggestion — now, 
do not take unbrage at me because I am as non-partisian in this matter as 
any member of the committee — that you have stock in some school text- 
book company. What is the fact? Have you stock in some school text- 
book company at the present time ? 

A. Well, if j-ou or anybody else — I- will saj' no, — but if anybody else 
can find any I will give them half. Now, there have been all kinds of- ru- 
mors, and I am here to answer one and all, and I am under oath. 

MR MAHON :— 

Q. Mr. Guffin, this has come up two or three times, many times in: 
fact, ever since yoti have taken an interest in this Wisconsin legislature, 
and I hope 3'ou won't take umbrage to any question I might ask. I will 
ask you this : I will ask you if you have any relatives interested in any 
publishing house ? 

A. Not that I know. 

THE MILWAUKEE SENTINEL 
Friday, March 29, 1912 

Discuss Book Problems 



Action of Legislature for Uniformitv Is Urged. 



The Educational Club of Milwaukee had a banquet Thursday night at 
the Republican, at which legislation regulating the choice of text-books for 
public schools was the principal point of discussion. , That school princi- 
pals are being influenced and that therefore the legislature should intro- 
duce uniform text-books in every state, is the opinion of J. T. Guffin, who" 
spoke at the banquet, representing the Chicago Printers' Trade council. 

"Teachers and principals are being paid by the people and are public 
servants. Consequently they should devote their service entirely to the 
people. But they are unintentionally serving the interests that are manu- 
facturing and selling these books. They are always, to some extent, being 
influenced by these interests. The only remedy for this evil would be a 
law that provides for uniformity of text-books in all the schools of a state. 
In several states the legislatures have passed such laws, and they have 
proved satisfactory." 

The following communication was transmitted to the Allied 
Printing Trades' Council and the executive officers of the Ohio Valley 
Trades' and Labor Assembly at Wheeling, W. Va., which they, in 
turn, presented over the signature of their officers to the State Text= 
Book Commission at Charleston, W. Va., and they retaliated by giv= 
ing over 50 per cent of the business of the state to Ginn & Co. 

The commission was made up mostly of school men and the kind 
the publishing houses like; a commission responsible to no one. 



COMBINE OPPOSED TO UNIFORMITY 89 

CHICAGO ALLIED PRINTING TRADES' COUNCIL, 

59-E. Van Buren Street, 

A. J. Spencer, Business Manager. 

Chicago, III, May 15, 1912. 
To Whom It May Concern: — 

Dear Sir : — The following publishing houses by communication or 
through their authorized representatives have gone on record as opposed 
to "State Uniformity" of text-books: — 
The MacMillan Co., 
Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 
Ginn & Co., 
■American Book Co., 
Yet we find their representatives actively soliciting the members of the 
various Text-Book Commissions for the business of states. 

At the entrance of the publishing plant of Ginn & Co., the following 
sign has appeared for years : — 

"Notice"* 
"The Athenaeum Press is a free office. All our employees are entirely 
at liberty to be independent of any organization or to belong to any organ- 
ization that does not interfere, with their work. Neither union or non- 
union men are to be subjected to the least annoyance or discrimination 
as such by employers or fellow workmen. 

(Signed,) 

Ginn & Co." 
It is hardly necessary for us to add that this is an unfair shop to all 
members of organized labor and no union man in good standing works 
in this shop. 

Concerning the American Book Company we feel that enough has 
been said and no comments are necessary. 

Furthermore, the School Journals throughout the United States 
patronized by those who seek to monopoHze the school book business have 
publicly slandered and misrepresented those who have sought to loosen 
the hold of this educational monster as well as seeking to discredit organ- 
ized labor in its efforts to secure just and competitive laws, and, 

Furthermore, one of the claims set up by some of these houses and 
their educational friends is that State Text-Book Commissions do not 
secure the best books or get as good books as are had by local adop- 
tion, we 

Hereby bring these facts to the attention of Text-Book Commissions 
that they may properly safeguard the interests of the children of their 
State in not permitting any combination of circumstances that will en- 
able those who oppose "State Uniformity" to use their State as an ex- 
ample before other States. 

If the Text-book Commissions of States under non-restricting laws 
place inferior books in the hands of its children and teachers, it is the 
fault of the Commission and not of the law. 
Respectfully, 
[seal] ' A. J. Spencer, 

Secretary. 

The following letter, embodying telegrams, was transmitted to 

the officers of labor organizations in Montana who took the matter 

up with the State Text=Book Commission of that state, along the 

lines laid down in the article printed from the Montana Daily Rec= 

*The sentiments expressed in this notice have not prevailed in Ginn & Com- 
pany's plant since November 21, 1912. I found, however, union men in good 
standing, working in this plant on May 22, 1912.- 



90 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

ord under date of June 21, 1912. This was another commission re= 
sponsible to no one; not even the Governor who appointed it, and 
they in turn ignored the rights of the people and played into the 
hands of "Monopoly," in other words, instead of serving the people 
who placed them in their position, they served the Eastern Publish- 
ers, as the evidence will show. 

CHICAGO ALLIED PRINTING TRADES' COUNCIL 

Chicago, 111., May 31, 1912 
To Whom It May Concern : — 

The following is self-explanatory : — 

NIGHT LETTER 

May 29, 1912. 
Secretary of State, Oklahoma City, Okla. 

Is there a union labor clause in the existing contracts on school books 
between your State and the following publishers?: — Ginn & Co., Ameri- 
can Book Co., Heath & Co., Merrill & Co., Doub & Co. Reply, giving 
said clause to Allied Printing Trades' Council, Room 608, Atheneum 
Bldg., Chicago. (Signed) 

A. J. Spencer, Secretary. 

TELEGRAM 
Oklahoma City, Okla., May 31, 1912. 
A. J. Spencer, Secretary, Room 608, Atheneum Bldg., Chicago. 
Contracts with publishers named carry union labor clauses. 

(Signed) Benj. F. Harrison, 

Secretary State. 
Clauses : — 

"It is expressly mutually agreed that said books are to be manufac- 
tured by union labor. In case of necessity only, this requirement is waived 
for the first delivery." 

We have failed to secure evidence that these houses have complied 
with their contract. On the other hand, we have secured evidence, 
tangible and heresay, that they have not. 

Yours, 
A. J. Spencer, Secretary. 

THE MONTANA DAILY RECORD 

Helena, Montana, 

Friday, June 21, 1912 

BOOK CONCERNS MULCT PUBLIC 



James T. Guffin Charges Manufacturers 
Practice Discrimination 



Ask Higher Prices Here than in Other Places 

Text-Book Commission Probing Matter — Possible 

That Number of Firms Will be Compelled 

to Change Bids 



That thousands and thousands of dollars have been unjustly taken 
from the taxpayers of the United States each year, by a few big book con- 
cerns which dominate the text-book supply, was the charge made by James 
T. Gufifin of Chicago, representing the Montana Federation of Labor at 
the public hearing held this morning by the state text-book commission. 



MONTANA, OKLAHOMA SHOWN UP 91 

Mr. Guffin cited specific instances of alleged discrimination. These will be 
investigated by the commission, and it is possible that a number of the bid- 
ders will be compelled to reduce their bids before any contracts are 
awarded them. 

Mr. Guffin explained he did not mean to censure any text-book com- 
missions that have acted in the past. They did not have the information 
and had no way of ascertaining the imposition that was being practiced. 

The three principal concerns Mr. Guffin charged with discrimination 
were Ginn & Co., Merrill & Co., and the Silver-Burdette Company. 

ALLEGED DISCRIMINATION 

Frye's grammar school geography is published by Ginn & Co. Down 
south eighty-eight cents is asked for this book. In other parts of the 
country $1.25 is the price. 

Merrill & Co., publish a sixth grade reader. In orre of the southern 
states thirty-five cents a volume is the price ; the Montana bid is fifty cents. 

Second and third grade readers published by the Silver-Burdette com- 
pany were offered in South Carolina at twenty-five cents a volume. Here 
fort}^ cents a volume is demanded. 

Replying to Mr. Guffin's strictures, the book agents asserted the edi- 
tions to which he referred were of a cheaper grade. He declared prac- 
tically the only difference was in the color of the cover. 

MAKE NO ANSWER 

Some of Mr. Guffin's charges, according to members of the board, the 
book agents made no attempt to answer. 

Mr. Guffin also cited the fact that some of the leading concerns in their 
bids stipulated they would only allow thirty per cent in exchange for old 
books, whereas other firms agreed to allow sixty and seventy per cent. 

The following is taken from an Oklahoma City paper under date 
of July 14, 1912, and from the activities of organized labor in the 
people's interest up to this time, it is patent to anyone, carefully 
reading, why the Governor appeared, July 2, 1912, as noted in his 
letter reproduced below, urging postponement of the adoption. 

Why should the commission after having advertised according to 
law, in March, 1912, and putting the publishers to the expense of 
sending their representatives, refuse at this late day, to go ahead and 
let the contracts? My only answer is this, that after the awards 
were made, it was found that the American Book Company got dic= 
tionaries which they would get anyway and Ginn & Company, High 
School Physics. If you want another answer you will find it on 
page 96, in a letter from State Superintendent Wilson and in one 
from State Treasurer Dunlop on pages 97=98. 

PLOT THICKENS IN SCHOOL BOOK CONTRACT AWARD 

The board will meet at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to hear the rep- 
resentatives of the different book companies before finally letting the 
contracts. 

governor's letter 

Governor Grace's letter to Superintendent Wilson is as follows: — 

"Hon. R. H. Wilson, president of the board of education. Mercantile 
building, Oklahoma City. 

"Dear Mr. Wilson : — I have received no intimation from the board of 
education as to what action it would take upon the request that I made 
when I appeared before your board on the 2nd of July. At that time I 
made an urgent request that your board postpone the hearings from the 



92 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

date heretofore announced, July 15, to a later date, a date not earlier than 
the 15th of October. At that time I stated in detail my objections to the 
adoption at the time as decided upon by the board. Having failed to be 
advised of any action on your part, I presume it is the intention of the 
board to go forward with the adoption as originally planned. 

"I shall not attempt to interfere in anywise with your legal or consti- 
tutional rights in this matter, but I feel that it is but fair to 3'ou that I state 
what my action shall be in connection with this adoption.* 

"The laws of the state, as contained in section 7986, Snyder's Digest, 
provide as follows : — 

" 'The bidder or bidders to whom any contract may have been awarded 
shall make and execute a good and sufificient bond payable to the state of 
Oklahoma in the sum of not less than $10,000, to be approved by the gov- 
ernor.' 

"Section 7988 provides as follows: — 

" 'Each contract shall be duly signed by the publishing house or its 
authorized officers or agents, and if it is found to be in accordance with 
the award and all of the provisions of "this act, and if the bond herein is 
presented and duly approved, the commission shall approve said contract 
and order it to be signed on behalf of the state by the governor.' 

"Section 7997 requires that the governor shall issue his proclamation 
to the people of the state immediately after the adoption of the books. 

"By a careful reading of the statutes it will be seen that the governor 
necessarily must have much to do with the adoption of the books, and in- 
asmuch as the law prescribes certain duties in this connection for the gov- 
ernor to perform, I feel that I have been warranted in taking this matter 
up as I have. 

"I believe you will agree with me that this is the first time since the 
creation of the board that I have ever made any request of any kind of the 
board. 

"Feeling as I do that it is a serious mistake from the standpoint of the 
public school interests of Oklahoma to have this adoption take place as 
advertised, I shall decline to aid in anywise in carrying into effect any at- 
tempted adoption at this time. 

"Please call this letter to the attention of the entire board, as I am 
writing only the one letter to you as president. 
"Yours truly, 

"Lee Cruce, Governor." 

The members of the board are President Wilson, Robert Dunlop, state 
treasurer : W. A. Brandenburg, superintendent of the Oklahoma City 

*Two weeks after the governor made the foregoing statement the first sub- 
ject for consideration came up. It was spelling and the Progressive Speller by 
Mr. J. N. Hunt, published by the American Book Company was defeated for 
adoption. Following this action the chief executive removed from office the 
State board members who had voted against the adoption but permitted the 
members who had voted for the adoption of the Progressive Speller (Hunt) to 
remain on the board. 

Hark! I hear our critics say, "There's your governor's influence." Yes, 
but it is the kind we do not advocate. However, the publishers and school men 
do. You may ask, "How is that?" The answer is plain. This is"a board created 
by the governor but of which he is not a member. This fact places him in a 
position, in case corruption developes or books of merit are not chosen, to say 
that he did all he could by placing supposedly reputable men in office, and not 
being a member of the board, he was not in a position to keep thoroughly posted 
on what was transpiring. 

The chief executive of a state has, as his primal duty, the responsibility 
of seeing that all laws are properly administered and the fact that the respon- 
sibility for blocking dishonest legislative schemes is thus specifically delegated 
seems to be distasteful to certain publishing houses and their henchmen. 



EDITORIAL IN INTEREST OF EDUCATION 93 

Schools ; Scott Glen, superintendent of the Shawnee schools ; W. E. Row- 
sey of Muskogee, J. F. Warren of Oklahoma City, and Frank Hayes of 
Chandler. 

FORMING LEGISLATORS' OPINIONS 
LANSING EVENING PRESS 

LANSING, MICHIGAN 

Saturday, February 8, 1913 
Time to Get Busy 

If the present legislature is to take any action to relieve the people wha 
are unfortunate enough to be obliged to purchase school books from the 
strangle-hold that the book trust has on their necks, it is up to the voterS' 
to get busy with a good sharp goad. 

The tendency on the part of the legislators is unquestionably to side- 
step their responsibility and pigeon-hole the bills that have been proposed.. 
The only sentiment that has been brought to bear on the legislature up to 
the present moment is from the different teachers' organizations that have 
appointed committees to work against uniform and free text-books. The 
people who have to pay for the books have not awakened to the fact that 
the trust, which levies tribute on every child that attends a school in the 
state, is working every influence to the limit to continue the present graft 
for another two years. 

The school books ought to be as free to the students as the schoolhouse 
and the fuel. That is, the community at large should bear the fullest pos- 
sible proportion of the cost of the educational system. The individual 
should be relieved of the expense of text-books as he is of the expense of 
hiring teachers and buying fuel for the district. 

Moreover, the pupil should have the advantage of the very best text- 
book on a given subject that can be obtained. There is but one best; all 
others are inferior, and should not be used for the pupils in any school in 
the state. Inferior books are used in a majority of the schools of the state 
because the book companies maintain an army of oily-tongued sharps to 
pass out dictionaries or other inducements to the district officers or other 
influential persons, if their arguments fail to have the desired effect. 

The argument advanced by the apologists of the present lack of system 
in regard to the text-book situation is that uniformity invariably results in 
. a poorer grade of books. What comment on the integrity of educators as 
a class ! Why should uniformity result in a poorer grade of text-books 
unless the officials who adopt the books are the victims of ulterior in- 
fluences? Are all teachers and educators subject to corruption? We re- 
fuse to believe it. Is it not possible for a commission of educators to de- 
termine which is a good and which is not a good treatise? Then why 
should the result "invariably" be an inferior book? 

Another argument, and the one that is worked overtime, is that with 
uniform books, competition would be destroyed and that a monopoly 
would be established. To the person who does not know the methods of 
the trust, the argument has an appeal. 

Here is the situation in a nutshell : The book trust is composed of 85 
concerns, different in name, but one in iniquity and sin. The companies 
are interested in maintaining the highest prices possible for books. They 
recognize the fact that in order for all of them to continue in business, 
they must keep the people divided on the question of the merits of the dif- 



94 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

ferent publications. They fight uniformity, because if one book is adopted 
in a state to the exclusion of others, it means that all but one of them are 
out of the business in that state. The most natural step for the state to 
take then would be to fix the price of that book at a reasonable figure 
which would cover the cost and yield a fair profit. 

Naturally the companies are opposed to this program. They realize 
the truth of the axiom that they "must hang together, or hang separately," 
so they try to scare the public with the "monopoly" buncombe and all the 
other nonsense. Competition is a fine thing, all right, but when it results 
in a species of highway robbery, it is time for the people of the state to 
take a hand in the proceedings and put a stop to it. 

This state is under no obligation to supply a market for the product 
of 85 book concerns. It is under no* obligation to sift the good books from 
the bad, absolutely driving the latter from the market and supplying the 
one best one to the pupils of the schools without cost to the individual. 
Can this be done? It can and it will be, and the sooner the teachers and 
others in the state quit pulling the trust's chestnuts from the fire, the 
higher will be their standing with the friends of progressive methods of 
education. 

Every victim of the present system should get busy with a pen and 
paper and let his member of the legislature know where he stands on this 
most vital question. 

The above editorial drew the following hot one — even too hot to 
be handled by the opponents of Uniformity, as the succeeding pages 
will clearly indicate. 

THE STATE JOURNAL 

LANSING, MICHIGAN 

Friday, February 14, 1913 

Whose Chestnuts Are In The Fire? 

Two years ago when the, state legislature was considering a bill pro- 
viding for uniform text-books in Michigan one of the most prominent fig- 
ures about the capitol zvas a gentleman formerly associated zmth text-book 
companies. 

It is said that the quiet ivork zvhich he did then zvas zvhat is knozvn as 
"lobbying." 

This gentleman is again busy about the capitol. 

He appeared zvhen the present bills providing for uniform text-books 
were introduced. 

It may be pertinent to ask zvhose interests he is laboring in and zvho 
pays him. 

It is not the public schools of Michigan. 

It is not the people of Michigan. 

There is only one other interest — the te.vt-book companies. 

"What,"- you ask, "have the text-book, companies to gain?" 

Just this — under an uniform te.vt-book lazv, instead of competing in 
the open market zmth several lines of books they can print one book for 
all Michigan, thereby increasing their profit. 

AGAIN— THE GOVERNOR OKLAHOMA HAS JUST RE- 
MOVED TWO MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORM TEXT-BOOK 
COMMISSION IN THAT STATE FOR ACCEPTING BRIBES 

*Tliis word "no" should be omitted in reading, as it is evidently a typo- 
graphical error. 



THE STORY OF A SLANDER 95 _ 

FROM TEXT-BOOK COMPANIES AND RECOMMENDING 
CHEAP AND INFERIOR BOOKS FOR THE STATE. 

DOES THAT SUGGEST A POSSIBILITY WHICH SOME OF 
THE BOOK INTERESTS MIGHT NOT OVERLOOK? 
■ THEY DID NOT OVERLOOK IT IN OKLAHOMA. 

Although alleged to he framed for the purpose of attacking the school 
hook interests, uniform text-book laws in reality protect them and enable 
them to increase their profits. 

"Economy" is the magic word used to arouse popular favor for this 
kind of legislation. 

But if we are to save the people of the state money on te.vt-hooks n'hy 
not institute a measure which will really affect economy? 

Why not free text-books. They will reduce the cost of school books to 
fifty cents a pupil. That is loiver than the uniform latv can possibly bring 
the cost. 

Evidently the "economy" cry is only a blind. 

Who is hiding behind the curtain? 

THE FOLLOWING LETTERS AND TELEGRAMS SPEAK 
FOR THEMSELVES, AND WERE BROUGHT FORTH BY REA- 
SON OF THE FOREGOING EDITORIAL:— 



NIGHT LETTER 

Lansing, Mich., Feb. 21, 1913 
Hon. Lee Cruce, 

Executive Office, 

Oklahoma City, Okla. 
The State Journal published in Lansing, Mich.7 Feb. fourteenth, the 
following: The governor of Oklahoma has just removed two members of 
the uniform text-book commission in that state for accepting bribes from 
text-book companies and recommending cheap and inferior books for the 
state. Answer, giving names of men removed, amounts of money paid, 
and names of publishers paying same, to Hotel Downey, Lansing, Mich. 

James T. Guffin, 

For Organized Labor. 

STATE OF OKLAHOMA 

lee cruce, governor 

Oklahoma City 

Feb. 23rd, 1913 
Mr. James T. Guffin, 
Hotel Downey, 
Lansing, Mich. 

Dear Sir: — Your night letter has just been received by me. The state- 
ment published in the Lansing Journal, as outlined in your letter, is en- 
tirely incorrect. 

I did remove three members of the State Board of Education on the 
29th day of July, 1912. The removal, however, was not based upon any 
charge that they had received or entertained a bribe from any text-book 
company. 

Yours truly, 

Lee Cruce, 
LC-LW , Governor 



96 LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

NIGHT LETTER 

Lansing, Mich., Feb. 21, 1913 
Hon. R. H. Wilson, 

State Supt. of Public Instruction, 
Oklahoma City, Okla. 
The State Journal published in Lansing, Mich., Feb. fourteenth, the 
following: The governor of Oklahoma has just removed two members 
of the uniform text-book commission in that state for accepting bribes 
from text-book companies and recommending cheap and inferior books 
for the state. Answer, giving names of men removed and amount of 
bribes involved, to Senator Henry E. Straight, one hundred three Chest- 
nut St., Lansing, Mich. 

James T. Guffin, 

For Organized Labor. 

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION 

OKLAHOMA CITY 

Mr. James T. Guffin, 

Lansing, Mich. 

My Dear Sir: — Your telegram of February 21st received. I note your 
statement relative to the item which appeared in the State Journal pub- 
lished in Lansing under date of February 14th. In reply I beg to advise 
that the entire story is false. It is true that the Governor removed three 
members of the State Board of Education, but at no time were they ever 
charged of accepting bribes ; neither were they charged of recommending 
cheap and inferior books. 

Everyone who is familiar with ^he books adopted, even the defeated 
book agents, have admitted that the Oklahoma Text-Book Commission 
has made a very superior adoption. It is a fact that there has been con- 
siderable opposition to the adoption in this state caused by the book com- 
panies who failed to get business and some who objected because we re- 
quired them to furnish the books by either union or fair labor. 

For further information I direct you to write to the Governor of this 
state, Honorable Lee Cruce. 

Yours truly, 

R. H. Wilson, 
February 22nd, State Superintendent 

19 13 

RHW-n 

NIGHT LETTER 

Lansing, Mich., Feb. 21, 1913 
Robert Dunlop, 

State Treasurer, 

Oklahoma City, Okla. 
The State Journal, published in Lansing, Michigan, February four- 
teenth, the following: The governor of Oklahoma has just removed two 
members of the Uniform' Text-Book Commission in that state for accept- 
ing bribes from text-book companies and recommending cheap and in- 
ferior books for the state. Answer, giving names of men removed, 
amounts of money paid and names of publishers paying same, to Hotel 
Downey, Lansing, Mich. 

James T. Guffin, 

For Organized Labor. 



THE STORY OF A SLANDER 97 

THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY 
19 Ch 14 Collect 2 X 
Oklahoma City, Okla., Feb. 24, '13. 
Mr. Jas. T. Guffin, 

Care Hotel, Lansing, for Organized Labor, 
Lansing, Mich. 
Statement false. Will demand copy of publication with article as pub- 
lished. 

ROBT. DUNLOP, 

^ State Treasurer 

12:27 PM 

STATE OF OKLAHOMA 

Treasurer's Office 

oklahoma, city 

February 25, 1913. 
Mr. James T. Guffin, 
1632 Park Avenue, 
Chicago, Illinois. 
My Dear Mr. Guffin:— 

I have your letter of February 21st, written at Lansing, Michigan, and 
in reply I wish to thank you very much for your kindness in regard to the 
text-book matter. 

The article that you enclosed is one of the many malicious and dis- 
graceful newspaper articles sent broadcast throughout the country. It 
is true that the governor of the state attempted to remove five members 
of the board, but at no time did he make the charge that we were guilty 
of grafting or anything of the kind. It was one of those political "stunts" 
that some men attempt to pull off if given the power, and probably in a 
great many states the governor has the power to summarily remove offi- 
cers ; but in the State of Oklahoma, under the terms of the constitution 
of our state, every man is entitled to a fair hearing. 

When the governor attempted to remove us, I took the position along 
with the other four members of the board that I would not be removed 
unless the courts of the state so declared. We joined in a law-suit and 
enjoined the governor and attorney general and his new board from par- 
ticipating or even holding a meeting of any kind in regard to or having 
any connection with the State Board of Education of the text-book adop- 
tion. Then the governor called a special session of the State Senate, but 
refused to send my name along with the other members of the board in 
to the Senate to have our names confirmed. He sent in a complete list 
of six names to be confirmed, but the Senate refused to confirm them ; and 
to make it more embarrassing to the governor, the Senate took judicial 
notice of the fact that I with two other members he had attempted to re- 
move were the legal members of the State Board of Education and pre- 
sented our names for confirmation, but refused to confirm us along with 
the other six names the governor sent in. Since that time he has sub- 
mitted four other names that have been confirmed. I am sure that there 
has never been anything since the investigation of the special session of 
the Senate or the regular session of the Legislature that has in any way 
reflected upon any of the members of the Text-Book Commission who 
made the adoption last suriimer. 

As usual, the American Book Company and Ginn and Company have 
been standing around the Legislature attempting to get some legislation 



98 * LABOR FOR EFFICIENCY, ECONOMY 

through that will perpetuate their former contract or to abrogate the con- 
tract of last summer. However, up to this good hour they have been 
unable to make any headway. I have no personal feelings against the 
American Book Company or Ginn and Company, but I do not intend to 
let them and the governor's law firm or Cruce, Stewart, and Gilbert, 
dominate and dictate to me as a member of the State Board of Education 
or any other board how I should vote or for whom I should vote. 

The clipping that you have sent me reads very much like a purported 
article by some of the representatives of the American Book Company 
or Ginn and Company, or some of their henchmen. I assure you that the 
citizenship of Oklahoma and the members of the Legislature of Okla- 
homa who have known me for the past twenty years, have spoken in no 
uncertain terms as to whom they regard as being grafters. They have 
also made it plain to the governor on every occasion and to his henchmen 
that attempted to dominate the text-book adoption last summer that this 
was only one of his many blunders. The statement that we adopted an 
inferior class of books is absolutely groundless and without any founda- 
tion, and an investigation will certainly vindicate each and every member 
who participated in the adoption. 

Again I wish to thank you for your courtesies and assure you that I 
am a friend of organized labor, and those who know me best are the best 
recommendations that I can give. I shall gladly furnish you with any- 
thing that would be of interest, but as the Legislature has thoroughly and 
unqualifiedly vindicated me in every particular the records of the State 
Senate's proceedings in special session are the best evidences of the busi- . 
ness-like and straight-forward manner in which the adoption was held last 
summer. 

With kindest regards to 3'ou and to the people you represent, I am, 
Yours very truly, 

ROBT. DUNLOP, 

RD-HKG State Treasurer. 

NIGHT LETTER 

Feb. 21st, 1913 
To Hon. S. J. Vining (Ex-Speaker of the House, 
1911 Session Ohio Legislature), 
Celina, Ohio 
I am told that Senators Andrus, Hufifman, Cetone et al., who led the 
fight in the senate against the Yount uniform text-book bill, are now in 
the Ohio state penitentiary for accepting bribes. Is this true? Answer, 
Hotel Downey, Lansing, Mich. 

James T. Guffin, 

For Organized Labor 

WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY 

62— DEA 16 Collect ANS 

Celina, O., Feb. 22, '13 
James T. Guffin, 

Care Hotel Downey, Lansing, Mich. 
Huffman and Andrews are in penitentiary and Cetone is sentenced for 
3 years ; all Senators. 

S. J. Vining 

11:12 A.M. 



ORGANIZED LABOR MISREPRESENTED 99 

Taken from "A'loderator-Topics" Feb. 27, 1913 : — 

"LABOR URGES FREE TEXT-BOOKS 

Florida State Federation of Labor urge compulsory education and free 
text-books. 

In fact the National Federation of Labor in its meeting at Atlanta 
some years ago voted well nigh unanimously for free text-books." 

Mr. Pattengill, S=b=p'r, in his "Moderator=Topics" in connection 
with his line of argument, undertakes to convey the impression in 
the first paragraph that the Florida Federation of Labor stands for 
the plan he is advocating for Michigan. The facts of the matter are 
that in Florida a bill has been passed providing for uniformity 
throughout the state, covering districts which had free books, as 
well as those in which the books are purchased by individual pat= 
rons. See pages 46 and 57=58. 

This provision does not interfere with the rights of those districts 
which have provided in the past, or may in the future provide, free 
text=books, but they must be uniform books. 

The same conditions would have prevailed in Michigan, had the 
Dunn=Young substitute bill become a law before the Evans' amende 
ment, which Mr. Evans tells me was only for the purpose of ex= 
empting the cities that now have free books. 

The law in Florida does not interfere with any district that may 
want to secure free books in the future and neither would have the 
Dunn=Young substitute bill. (See page 10.) 

For the up=to=date truth concerning uniformity as endorsed by 
the American Federation of Labor, I print the following, taken from 
the report of the 32nd annual convention held at Rochester, N. Y., 
last November: — 

WHEREAS, We believe that one of the greatest prob- 
lems confronting the workers to-day is the proper education 
of their children, thereby fitting them to meet the exigencies 
of modern conditions of life ; and 

WHEREAS, The American Federation of Labor desires 
to insure to the children of the workers of our country as 
thorough a schooling as may possibly be obtained in the 
public schools of our nation ; and * * * 

RESOLVED, That the workers of every commonwealth 
demand of the state authorities the enactment of a statute 
providing for uniform school books in the public schools of 
their respective states ; and 

RESOLVED, That such books shall be of the highest 
standard of excellence and workmanship ; and * * * 

The Georgia Federation of Labor passed resolutions at its annual 
meeting in 1912 favoring uniform school books in all the schools of 
the state, permitting each district to say whether they should be 
provided free or by individual purchase. 

Why does "Moderator=Topics" misstate the facts concerning a 
subject about which it assumes to know so much? 



EDITORIAL 



Sheep and Different Sheep — Not Sheep and Goats 

These strange and mysterious "Local Conditions," of which we so 
constantly hear (and no one can name in the presence of one who knows) 
in this text-book controversy and which appear to be the sine que non of 
the anti-uniformity argiunent. must be strange indeed if they demand that 
the children of each separate thirt_v-six square miles be ladled out a differ- 
ent mental diet from that which serves well to nourish properly the minds 
of their little cousins in the next township. 

• The knowledge gained from books has, from time immemorial, been 
referred to as "food for the mind" and the expression is most apt. TSTow, 
if there is some peculiar condition in County A, which makes useless a 
geography that has been found excellent in County B, would it not be 
well to go further and ascertain whether or not the roast beef that 
strengthens the little muscles of the sturdy boys and girls of County C 
is not deleterious and unwholesome for the children of County D? 

Michigan is but a small section of the earth's surface. We are admit- 
tedly a mixture of various races and into our American centers of pop- 
ulation is being constantly poured a foreign stream which in due time is 
assimilated. The condition has no parallel in the world. The immigrant 
that arrives at Ellis Island without command of sufficient English to 
make himself understood, is replaced by a second generation that has 
mastered not only our tongue, but our methods of thought and action, as 
-well as our national spirit. 

This rapid assimilation of scores of thousands of individuals from 
•every corner of the globe must be continued, and can only be continued 
through the medium of our public schools. We are educating our child- 
ren with the idea that from whatever stock they may have sprung, they 
are to be trained to be intelligent Americans with a character built on a 
foundation that is not sand. 

The child of the. Hungarian or Bohemian, Italian or Greek, may and 
will, have a harder time with his spelling and grammar than his native- 
born seat-mate but this cannot be helped. The influence of heredity, 
racial characteristics and a foreign atmosphere in the home must needs 
handicap the immigrant's child. However, we are not teaching him to 
spell in Greek or to conjugate in Italian and the "Local Conditions" must 
"be so shaped, (if they are not already so shaped), that the texts in our 
■schools shall be the best that can be procured and suitable to be used as 
a solid foundation for a practical American education. 

Clear texts, scientifically constructed, are best for all concerned and 
■differences in the mental calliber of the children are always adequately 
adjusted by the system of gradation. 

The text-book that can be taught.with the least effort on the part of 
■the teacher and which is most easily understood by the child is the best 
book for all classes of pupils, foreign or native born — bright or dull. 

Because of the foreign child's handicap as pointed out above, he may 
find that he is not able to make as rapid progress as the child native 
born and as he advances less rapidly he will be found in classes of a less 
average age than his own. This has no bearing on the value of the text- 
books used. The best book for him in any grade, if he would acquire a 
well-grounded American education, is the SAME book that is the best for 
the American child in that same grade. 

[100] 



EDITORIAL 101 

"Local Adoption" A Will-O'-The-Wisp 

A moment's consideration will make another point plain. The big 
book houses, under the present system, employ a small army of salesmen 
to get their wares before the school boards of the country. These men 
travel thousands of miles. This costs money. They go to the best hotels. 
This costs money. They draw good salaries. More money. And as the 
book houses are not philanthropic institutions this money must come back 
from somewhere. — It does. — 

Every time that Johnny or Mary gets from you the price of a new 
geography or grammar you are paying IN PART FOR THE BOOK 
ITSELF, WHILE IN PART, THE SUM YOU PAY GOES TO THE 
BOOK AGENT AND TO THE RAILROADS ON WHICH HE 
RIDES AND TO THE HOTELS WHERE HE STOPS. 

Under the state uniformity bill all this useless burden of expense is 
lifted from the shoulders of the patrons of the schools. Therefore the 
point is to eliminate this unnecessary selling cost. 

3ut mark this well. The local adoption free text-book plan does not 
IN ANY WAY eliminate this useless expense. The agents, under this 
plan, are as imperatively necessary to the publishers as under the present 
system and must still go to each school district if the children are to have 
the benefit of competition and the teachers be given the opportunity to 
inspect the various publications. 

There is here another thought. When the agents are sent out to se- 
cure, if possible, the sale of a bill of books, it is not one firm alone that is 
represented but perhaps a dozen. Only one can secure the contract. The 
expense of the others, however, is a constant factor. Some day, some way, 
their houses must reimburse themselves for this expense. Thus it may be 
plainly seen that added to the price — the legitimate price — of the books 
bought from the successful agent must be the expense of the trips he has 
before made on similar missions and failed to negotiate a sale. 

If the publishing houses should eliminate this selling expense, as has 
been shown to exist under the Minnesota plan, free book local adoption, 
(see pages 21, 22, 23) it would stifle competition and educational progress. 
It would put the prices of books where the business would go indefinitely 
to the firms now controlling it by unfair competition as shown on pages 12, 
13, 14, 19. 

This would mean, under the free book, local adoption plan, a law in 
the interest of those publishers whose books are now on sale and would 
necessitate the purchase of only their publications for many years. 

Some Workmen— Some Schoolmen— Some Politicians 

It is scarcely conceivable that anyone today would maintain that a 
modern automobile factory turned out mechanics who were inferior in 
ability to the young mechanics who received their schooling under old 
conditions in the hap-hazard, hit and miss shops of civil war times. 

The old system was for a boy to go as apprentice into a four or five- 
man shop, learn the ways of the foreman and, after following this beaten 
track for years, perhaps become foreman himself. Such a mechanic if 
called to another part of the country, under the old system with its lack 
of uniformity, would find that he had to "drop back a grade" by reason 
of his meeting systems with which he was unacquainted. Strange sys- 
tems, strange measurements, strange methods relegated him again to the 
infant class. 

Today a mechanic who has thoroughly schooled himself m the opera- 
tion of a standard lathe can jump from Massachusetts to California and 
go to work in his proper position at once with a full grasp of his duties 
and a full ability to perform them. 



102 EDITORIAL 

But the modern standardization of threads, tools, etc., has by no means 
made a "mere machine" of the workman. On the contrary he is as free 
as ever to show his individuality and profit by it. The fact that his tools 
are uniform is an assistance rather than a hindrance to the exploitation of 
his ingenuity and the display of his initiative. 

It may be well to mention that the "uniformity" of the type setting 
machine has served to develop the versatility of the compositor rather than 
to restrict it. These pages were prepared and printed in a "five-man 
shop." The man who tapped the keys and cast the lines and the men who 
made these impressions, received a fair wage for their work. This work 
was no more mechanical than the product of the corporation correspond- 
ent who chances to use a typewriter as a vehicle for the expression of his 
thoughts. It could scarcely be argued that because our greatest authors 
find it convenient to write their manuscripts on type-writing machines, 
their resultant product is mechanical. 

Is the teacher in a different class? 

Every human proposition is susceptible of argument, unless we ex- 
cept those things which have come to be considered axioms. Even the 
commonly accepted axioms have had their disputants and there are those 
today who would, if they could, fill columns of space to attempt to prove 
that two and two do not really make four. They may be as conscientious 
in their beliefs as any of our most distinguished scientists. We should 
respect them for their sincerity even though their conclusions are as 
wrong as the footings of an adding machine with a half dozen broken 
cogs. In truth it is broken mental cogs that give us the fanatics that 
spend their time in trying to disprove that a straight line is the shortest 
distance between two points, or other equally plain propositions. 

With such it would be useless to argue, but there is another class 
with whom we have to deal. I refer to those who exercise their wits to 
adduce specious reasons and sophistical arguments to combat truths, per- 
haps unfamiliar, but patent to any who will acquaint themselves with the 
governing facts. 

In judging who is right and who is wrong in the matters discussed 
in this booklet, I have only to ask that the critic shall acquaint himself 
with the facts, which are of record. I feel entirely safe in leaving con- 
clusions in the hands of such. 

Mathematical Problem:— 

(The Publisher) + (The Politician) = x. 

Anszver: — We are all free American citizens and can sell our services 
where we please. We can accept positions at pleasure and 'throw up the 
job' when we will. 

This is true in the abstract, but in the concrete, where is a teacher in a 
small school placed? Quite likely he has a family of a size in inverse 
ratio to the proportions of his income. The unfortunate result is that he 
feels he must hold to his position, inadequate as the salary may be. Now 
comes the publisher's hireling, the book agent — ("the Devil in the Bel- 
fry.") Standing above the under-paid pedagogue with an implied threat 
of dismissal, he says "thou shalt" and "thou shalt not" or attempts to gain 
his ends by offering to secure for this needy instructor a position elsewhere 
at a better salary. A slim larder was never an incentive to the highest mor- 
ality and it is not an unknown condition that the teacher has barkened to 
the voice of the siren and has recommended books contrary to his best 
judgment. The scholars of that school and the teachers who may follow 
for the succeeding three or five years are the ones to suffer. 

These are some of the foremost "local conditions" that have bearing 
on the text-book question. 



MICHIGAN INVESTIGATION ILLUSTRATED 103 




THE RING 



THE STORY 



CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE ^ 

Fortieth Session ^& 

SENATE DAILY JOURNAL 

Twenty-Fourth Day 
"Wednesday, January 29, 1913 

REPORT OF SELECT COMMITTEES 
The special committee appointed under authority of the resolutions of 
the Senate of January 23, 1911, and of March 25, 1911, to ascertain the 
law and the fact regarding text-books used in the common schools of the 
State, presented a report, which was, on motion of Senator Thompson, 
ordered printed in the Journal of the Senate: 
To the Senate of the State of California, at its fortieth session : — 

METHODS PURSUED BY BOOK PUBLISHERS TO SECURE ADOP- ' 
TION AND SALE OF SCHOOL BOOKS 
As to improper influences having been exercised by school text-boolc pub- 
lishers, their agents and employes, upon and over the educational department of 
the State and its subdivisions, in the matter of selection of text-hooks for the 
elementary and high schools of the State, your committee finds from the testi- 
mony adduced: That improper influence in the sense that any person connected 



APR 12 1913 



104 CALIFORNIA INVESTIGATING REPORT 

with the educational system has been bribed with money, that any one has con- 
sciously traded promotion, that any one has consciously taken entertainment or 
deliberately received any quid pro quo, whether social or material or of any 
other sort from a book agent or book concern in return for a favor, has not been 
shown. But if "improper influence" is construed to be any adroit, insidious per- 
sonal influence that may be used by a man whose purpose in education is purely 
commercial, whose relations toward the people who are Interested in and control 
factors in the adoption of books are as those of a commercial traveler and a 
salesman seeking friendship in order that personal confidence may be estab- 
lished, in order that when he makes a statement the statement may be accepted, 
in order that his argument may go with good weight, and in order that his rep- 
resentations may be accepted for full value and for greater value than some one 
else's not so well known personally and whose personal confidence is not so well 
established, then it appears from the testimony that there has been a marked in- 
fluence exercised upon the educational system of the State. 

Nearly all of the agents and active representatives of the school text-book 
publishers have been teachers, principals or educators employed in the State 
schools and since becoming employes of book publishers have been and now are 
members of some one of the State teachers' associations. These book agents 
have not exerted their influence for the sake of the children of the State or for 
the cause of public education; on the contrary, it has been exerted in behalf of 
the corporations and companies which they represent and for the commercial 
profits which accrued. They kept a close account of the social and the personal 
relations which they established, so as to know where they could find people to 
whom they could speak in confidence and with some authority. They have been 
vigilant in the matter of noting vacancies and anticipated vacancies among 
teachers of the various educational institutions of the State, and made it their 
business to recommend teachers to fill such vacancies. 

They have uniformly, and apparently without exception, opposed State- 
wide adoption of text-books and favored county, city and local adoptions. Your 
committee also finds that there was a community of interest among all book 
companies doing business in the State. They are and have been interested in 
common in maintaining various rights and privileges that have been accorded 
them by the teachers of this State, in their relations with the State Teachers' 
Association and in their relations with the State Board of Education. They make 
common cause against low royalties; they make common cause against State 
free text-books; they make common cause for local adoptions, and make com- 
mon cause against State-wide adoption; they make common cause against State 
uniformity; thus making common cause in the direction of increasing their 
sales, because it is upon sales that text-book companies thrive. 

Your committee finds that local adoptions, county, city and district, are in 
the interest of and conduce to the benefit of the book publishing companies, 
while, on the contrary, State-wide adoptions are in the interest of the people in 
bringing about uniformity and in standardizing and in lessening the cost of text- 
books required in the educational system of the State. 

In connection with this portion of its report, your committee desires to ex- 
press its absolute confidence in the integrity, loyalty, ability, intelligence and 
discretion of the teachers of this State, and so that its attitude upon this subject 
cannot be misunderstood or misinterpreted, asserts that nothing herein set forth 
should be construed or understood as being intended to reflect upon the teach- 
ers of this State. The criticisms herein contained are alone directed to and lev- 
eled against the system adopted and the methods pursued by the book publish- 
ers and their representatives and agents for the promotion of their business in- 
terests which system and methods have a tendency, however conscientious a 
teacher or educator may be, to prevent Impartial consideration being given to 
books offered for adoption. 
* * * * * * * * * * 

With the adoption at the last election of the amendment to the Constitution 
providing for free text-books, the people of the State, by a vote of more than 
two to one, declared in favor of the reorganization of the State Board of Educa- 
tion and in favor of a uniform series of text-books, to be furnished and distrib- 
uted free to all children in the elementary schools of the State. 

I know that the majority of school=board members are honest; I 
know that the majority of superintendents are honest; I know that 
the majority of teachers are honest; I know that the majority of the 
people are honest with the children; but one bad apple will spoil a 
barrel, and this "little rift within the lute, will bye and bye make all 
its (local adoption) music mute." 






"^^lu c;in trust the people Id (Id tlic rii;ht tliinc 
ilie ritjht tliiiitj' is." — An(")ii. 



If iA,._. 



On April 
The Fourth 
Nineteen 
Thirteen. 
Dear Sir:- 

You are hereby notified that at the 
regular meeting of Chicago Allied Printing 
Trades' Council held Thursday, April 3rd, the 
credentials you now hold from that body were 
revoked by a vote of 22 to 8. 

Kindly govern yourself accordingly. 
Very truly yours, 
(SEAL) A. J. SPENCER, 

Secy. C. A. P. T. C. 
Mr. James T. Guff in, 
Battle Creek, Mich. 



Rattle Creek, .Mich., April 3, ]''13 
Mr. A. J. Spencer, Secy. C. .\. 1'. T. C. 

Jvoemi 608, .Sy E. \'an l.!urcii St., Chicago. 
DqcU- Sir and Bro. : — \'our official letter of the 4th inst. reache<l nie at 
'' o'clock (his morning- anil I shall be onverned accordingh'. I sli:-d1 replv 
at length at some future date. 

1 feel, however, that after having served the cause of Labor tDr over 
three )-ears at my own cxjiense ; the Ci")uncil should give me their rea-DUs 
for this action, if there arc an\- i-etlccting in any way rm me personalis' 
or the service I ha\^e rendered. 

W'ith best wishes for the i)rDS|")erit_\' r)f the Council, I am, 
\'Dnrs truh', 

]aa:es T. CiCFi-iN 



Has the commercialism of the educational world won in its strug= 
gle, and is it paramount to the advancement educationally of the chil= 
dren of its people? 

To that small band of school men and others who have greatly 
aided me in this work through their educational experience and by 
their wisdom and counsel; and also to the grand organizations for 
which I have had the honor to speak, this little book is further dedi= 
cated. 

I trust it may serve as a source of aid and encouragement for a 
continuance of the fight for civic betterment in this nation which has 
never lacked for true men to defend the causes which to them 
seemed just. 

JAMES T. OUFFIN 

\'o\v that in black and white y<m see 
The facts, \ou surely must agree 
Tliose lighting UniformiiN 
Have stretched the truth d m |\-, 



